It's All About YES! by Tricia Dycka

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Worth the Read: Overcoming Fear Pg. 3 Fear is a Four-Letter Word Pg. 4 Tamsyn Hawkins

Why Your Fears May Be the Secret to Pg. 6 Your Success (Astrology) Jennifer Shelton

OMG I’M Outside My Comfort Zone! Pg. 9 Liz LaClair

FEAR… is your Mind Telling You NO Pg. 10 Tricia Dycka

Are You In Your Zone? Pg. 12 Lori Latimer

You Need Your Fear Pg. 14 Daye Salander

Breaking Out Pg. 15

Liz Nonnemacher

Publisher: Tricia Dycka Editor-In-Chief: Daye Salander Editor: Liz LaClair

Worth The Read...

Overcoming Fear

By Nadia Ballas-Ruta

Overcoming fear doesn’t happen instantly or automatically. It is the result of deliberate intention, and conscious action towards doing things that scares you. As a result of overcoming your fears, you grow as a person, and expand the possibilities that surround your life. Do you recall the last time you wanted to do something so intensely but fear got in your way? We all have those moments when we are enthralled with an idea only to have fear prevent us from moving forward. What can we do to overcome fear from paralyzing us from moving forward with our dreams and desires? I have always found it interesting how the concept of playing it safe makes many people choose being miserable over being happy. The interesting thing about the human condition is that the minute we experience pain, we never want to experience it again. So as a result, we do things that we feel will ensure that we do not get hurt. In fact, we will go to further extend to avoid pain than we are to gain pleasure. For example; you fall in love and you give every ounce of your being to the object of your affection. Things are going well for a while but then something happens and the relationship ends. You feel crushed and you swear to yourself that you will never again allow yourself to be so vulnerable. As a result, anytime you meet someone new, you remember that painful experience and you bring it into the new relationship. Fear of risk also appears when it comes to the topic of making a living. For some reason there is a belief in the collective conscious that in order to make money, you will mostly likely work at a job that you do not love. When I was a child, one of my mother’s friends told me to enjoy being a kid because when I became an adult, I would have to get a job in order to pay bills so that I could be responsible. She made it sound as if being an adult was an existence made up of misery and not joy. Yes, we do have to be responsible for our lives and we do have to pay bills but where does it say that we have to be miserable? I have yet to see proof that we have to be unhappy in order to pay the bills.

“Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.” ~ His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama One of the many interesting things about life is that nothing of value was ever gained by playing it safe. Take, for example, the founding of America. Fifty-six men risked their lives by signing the Declaration of Independence. Their act of signing that document constituted treason and it was a serious offense according to the laws of the British Empire. However, they knew that they needed to sign that document in order to achieve independence. To have a life that you love requires some type of risk taking, and stepping out of your comfort zone to confront some of your fears. Let’s face it, the only sure thing in life is the fact that at some point your heart will stop pumping and this fantastic ride will be over. Read The Full Post

Fear Is A Four-Letter Word by: Tamsyn Hawkins “Fear” and “comfort.” Two words which, for me, pretty easily sum up the emotional states that can rule our personal power and ability to take action. Fear can stifle us and prevent us from being who we really are. So often I hear “who am I to think that I am any good?” My challenge back is simple. Who are you to deny yourself and those around you of all the wonderful gifts that you have to offer?! Let’s take a look at Comfort. As human beings we are programmed to seek comfort as a default position. Why wouldn’t we? For many of us it’s a natural state of calm and wellbeing and one that should not be underestimated. As humans we seek to feel comfortable in our own skin and in our own lives. It gives us confidence and the comfort of familiar surroundings and situations keeps us in a state of control of ourselves. Comfort keeps us “safe”. Then fear comes along, more often than not when that other biggie “change” is on the horizon. Fear hits us in the gut just at the point when we decide to act on our instincts and take that chance, or make that change. Fear starts whispering in your inner ear and helpfully reminding you of all those feelings of unworthiness you may have been hanging onto all these years. Should these two things be mutually exclusive? I don’t think so. What would it take for you to find a way to be comfortable with feeling fear? Perhaps to view fear in a new light may help. Really, what is “fear” anyway? Actually, when you distill it down fear can actually be a useful emotion. It can be your early warning system of danger ahead. If we did not have fear as a pre-programmed reaction to danger, we may find ourselves steeping out into moving traffic, or facing down a dangerous situation without thought or concern for the consequences. In that respect, fear is good tool to have in your kit bag, when used appropriately. The trick for me has been to learn the difference between fear as a useful emotion (i.e. my intuition sending me a message) and versus my inner critic disguising itself as fear. The biggest strategy that has paid off for me in learning how to distinguish between the two is simple. To stay in action. As a great teacher of mine has often reminded me, sometimes the only way to get to the other side is “just to keep moving”. When I am in action I find that clarity is easier to see because I am in the moment “doing” and not in my head “thinking.”

The only time we have is right now. Be present, stay in action and move through your fear of breaking out of your comfort zone. How will you know what great things you are capable of if you just stay where you are? To help you, some favorite quotes to inspire your movement forward: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt “Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic. ~ Unknown Tamsyn Hawkins Tamsyn is an expert in coaching business owners to boost their revenue through branding and marketing. Specializing in creating brand and customer profiles for independent businesses, Tamsyn helps her client organizations identify exactly who they are and teaches them how to authentically represent themselves so they can attract their ideal customers. Tamsyn has worked in sales and senior leadership roles for top UK companies including Pizza Hut UK, Mothercare, Top Shop, River Island, Gondola Group and New Look, and launched her own consulting business in 2008. Tamsyn teaches independent entrepreneurs how to craft their company image so they can engage with their customers on a personal level, foster brand loyalty, and create stronger, more profitable relationships with their clientele. You can find her at www.tamsynhawkins.com

Why Your Fears May Be the Secret to Your Success (Astrology) by: Jennifer Shelton

The Planet Saturn: In astrology Saturn represents caution and fear, contraction. Also ambition and determination. Without the obstacles of Saturn, we would never grow. Saturn is strongly placed in the horoscopes of doctors, research scientists, and business people. The position [in our chart] shows what we need to feel safe and secure, and what we fear that we will never have enough of. Since this is where we tend to be fearful, we become nervous and tend to “mess up”, or never try at all. This is the quality that frequently comes across as “bad luck”.– Bob Mark People are scared of Saturn, which is also referred to as the “Lord of Karma.” No one wants to hear about fear and restriction. But, we ALL have Saturn in our charts. And, understanding the location of Saturn in your chart can lead to great personal fulfillment. Saturn will never let you settle for less than you deserve. But, because it is located in the area in which you most fear, you will TRY to settle. Or, many of us will. If you have Saturn in the seventh house (or, Libra) – that’s relationships. I know many people, with this placement, who have relationship problems. They’ve said to me, “Are all my relationships doomed, because of Saturn?” NO! With Saturn in the seventh house, you have the potential for a great partnership, something deeper and more fulfilling than the partnerships of your friends. Yet, because of your FEAR of being alone, you will TRY to settle. You may stick with a partner, who you know is not good for you, because that seems like the “safe” thing to do. If this partner is not right for you, however, Saturn will almost always make sure that the relationship ends. You deserve better! If you have Saturn in the second house (or Taurus) – self-worth – you may fear not having enough money. In my work as an astrological coach, I’ve been surprised to discover that spendthrifts and misers have the exact same fear; it just manifests differently. Both fear that there will not be ENOUGH money in the future. The people who spend too freely have said to me, “I’d better spend it now, on something I want, because it won’t be there later.” The Scrooges fear there will be no income in the future, so they avoid spending anything. If you’ve got Saturn in the second house, either behavior will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. (I have Saturn in the sixth house but in Taurus. I tend towards Scrooginess.) Saturn rules responsibility as well as fear and restriction. If you’ve got a combo of Saturn and money, you can bet this issue will keep coming up for you until you adopt a responsible approach. But, remember, Saturn can point to your success. Be responsible with your money, and you may find yourself having more of it than you ever imagined possible! Do you have what seems to be excessive arguments and conflicts with your family members? You may have Saturn in the fourth house (or Cancer) – home and roots. In this case, you fear being without your family but being with them can be a nightmare (from the stories I’ve heard from clients). With this placement, you must learn to be your own best support system, to stand up for your personal rights. Again, don’t settle for any less! Easier said than done? Understanding this is all well and good but actually living it? I know, it’s hard. I have Saturn in the sixth house. People with Saturn in the sixth house are extremely diligent workers.

But, well, here are a few examples from my work life: I was doing a graduate assistantship, helping the university Population Center with surveys on pregnancy, infection and nutrition. It had nothing to do with my area of focus (Russian literature) but was good, extra income. Along comes another study, by another group of researchers, on children in RUSSIA. I asked, begged, pleaded to get transferred. The reply from my boss, “You’re too good of a worker. We don’t want to lose you on the current study.” I also had jobs that I loved but have had the “powers that be” decide that my “skills” would be much better served in some extremely detail-oriented job (which I’m very good at, but detest). As Bob Marks writes about this position, “Many of these Saturn in the sixth folks eventually go into business for themselves for this reason.” And, that’s exactly what we are wired to do – work for ourselves. Saturn in the sixth house people have the personal discipline to succeed at self-employment. But, because we fear being out of work, (and with my added Saturn in Taurus – I also fear not having enough money) we often don’t pursue that avenue. However, I know that if I were to go back to another traditional job, the same pattern would repeat. So, how do I live with the fear? And, I do LIVE with it. It never goes completely away. That’s where the rest of your chart can help. My North Node is in Pisces. I need to trust the Divine Plan for my life. My intuition, and understanding of myself (that’s the rest of my chart), led me to work for myself, instead of continuing on the hamster wheel of jobs that were not fulfilling. And, to be completely honest, if the economy weren’t so crappy, and if there were actually jobs in my field to be had, I’d probably succumb to my fear and go get one of them. Divine timing was definitely at work when I was laid off. Yes, what seems, at the surface, to be restriction and even, “bad karma”, was actually a GIFT that would allow me to pursue my full potential. That’s the way Saturn works! A brief overview of the area ruled by each house in the astrological chart: 1st house/Aries: identity – Any planet in this house can give you the traits of the sign the planet rules, so if you have Saturn here, you may have traits of Capricorn – serious, ambitious and diligent. Due to fear (see first paragraph, above), you may be shy. Others could interpret this shyness as aloofness. 2nd house/Taurus: self-worth (both literal and figurative) – addressed above 3rd house/Gemini: communication, siblings, short trips – You can excel at communication but only after dealing with obstacles (some people with this literally have speech disorders) 4th house/Cancer: roots, family, home – addressed above 5th house/Leo: fun, play, creativity, romance – If you have the planet of fear and restriction in the house of fun, well, no one will describe you as “spontaneous,” that’s for sure! But, you can excel at creative projects and parties that take a lot planning and perseverance. continues on next page

6th house/Virgo: work, health – addressed above 7th house/Libra: relationships – addressed above 8th house/Scorpio: death, taxes, inheritance, sex – People with Saturn here may have intense psychic experiences. Also, money issues may resemble that of Saturn in the 2nd house (see text above). 9th house/Sagittarius: higher learning, travel, adventure – Have you had a love/hate relationship with school? Maybe you put it off until your 30s or 40s? Yes, it really will help you to be more successful. 10th house/Capricorn: career – This is the house that Saturn “rules”; you can reach any career goal you set your mind to. However, due to fear, you may become nervous and never try at all. Whatever you do in your career, don’t cut corners or try to take “short cuts” to success. Remember, Saturn rules responsibility. 11th house/Aquarius: friendships, long-term goals, humanitarianism – Read the paragraph on “relationships” (7th house) in the text above. Substitute “friends” for “partners.” 12th house/Pisces: spirituality, subconscious – If you have Saturn here, you may suppress your feelings, which can lead to depression. Read this post on “gunnysacking.”

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward, it is not a compliment to say it is brave. ~ Mark Twain You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it. ~ Bill Cosby There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear.” ~George S. Patton

Jennifer L Shelton Jennifer is the founder and administrator of FemCentral, the Virtual Institute for Women, where she also works as an astrologer, intuitive coach and instructor. She teaches undergraduate, online classes in global cultures for Franklin University and works as an education, outreach and training consultant. She’s a writer. She’s a mom. She’s gloriously busy doing the things she loves. You can find Jennifer at www.jenniferlshelton.com

OMG I’M Outside My Comfort Zone! by: Liz LaClair

How many times have you said/thought that? Well thinking about business – I’ll be honest with you, I’m almost always outside my comfort zone. You may be thinking “OK Liz, what kind of crap is this?” Well I was comfortable working all those years in the corporate world. Someone else was in charge and had to make all the decisions. All I had to do was show up for work, and do what I was suppose to do. I liked doing that – I enjoyed many of the things I did. But now? Well now my business is that of a virtual assistant and doing many of the things I used to do along with some new things I’ve learned. This is my joy and bliss. But there’s all the other business things that have to be done: • Getting/retaining clients • Paying bills • Getting noticed • Marketing (wait that’s part of the getting noticed thing) – working on my own newsletter and blog page. • Oh, let’s not forget the email advertizing (crud – that’s part of the marketing/getting noticed stuff) – following a schedule. Whew! That’s a lot of stuff for someone to have to do – and I’m only scratching the surface. Talk about being waaay outside my comfort zone! But, even though there are days when I get scared and wonder why it was I started a business in the first place, I think of the phrase “put on your big girl panties” and get on with it. When I have projects for clients I think about how much I enjoy what I’m doing – a sense of peace sort of washes over me. Kinda like wearing a warm fluffy bathrobe! During this time I think WOW, this is why I have my business! Then there are the times when I don’t have any client work – the slow times. We all have them. This is when panic sets in and I get nervous. I’m back outside my comfort zone. Yes, the day will come with my business that I’ll have staff to do the things I don’t like to do. At least one person will be in charge of keeping me visible and getting new clients interested. The rest (for this particular stage) is fairly easy for me to handle. But then again, once I get staff, I’ll need to put my accountant to work! But, until my dream becomes reality I need to be the one to do all of the things that need to be done. I need to learn to be comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone. How else am I going to create my empire?

Liz LaClair I have TWO best parts of my life. I’m thrilled to have found my business calling! I truly enjoy working with my clients – the work I do is fun! Check out how I got past my challenges – learn how I’m taking what was a not so good and making it great. I’m a small business entrepreneur who likes working/supporting other small businesses. The other best part of my life? I’m married to the love of my life. He’s very supportive of what I’m doing. Who could ask for more? You can find me at http://www.virtuallyhelps.com/

FEAR… is your Mind Telling You NO by: Tricia Dycka Change is something dreaded. People would rather stay in their comfort zone remaining unhappy until something forces them to make a drastic decision and then move forward. Being comfortable and loving your routines is a way for you to stay safe. Some of the more pressing fears that we face when pushing past our comfort zones: • Fear of rejection. • Fear of being unloved. • Fear of being good to yourself. • Fear of being alone. • Fear of worthiness. I can give you many examples of fear gnawing at my insides, my mind screaming RUN AWAY!!!! Today I take risks all the time and change is becoming my friend. Fear I have discovered, is my mind telling me NO YOU CANT do it, it’s too scary. A few years back I would listen to that little voice and let life pass me by so I could feel safe and sound and I felt BLAH all the time. Nothing changed, nothing was new. It was very repetitive day after day. Went to work driving the same route, ate the same foods, and watched the same TV shows. God forbid anything was outside of the routine. Now I recognize what any sign of restlessness means for me, I have become complacent in my routines. Shake it up. Does it still scare me? Hell yes. But what scares me more is the scene I have painted for myself if I give up. Let me tell you it isn’t pretty. I have many aspirations of where I want my life and business to be headed and being paralyzed due to fear is not one of them.

Worth The Read...

Sharing With Others By K Kerswig

“One of the best things about being an adult is the realization that you can share with your sister and still have plenty for yourself.” - Betsy Cohen, writer There are many good things about being an adult - I can make my own decisions, I can make good choices when picking my friends, I can eat dessert before my entree if I truly want to do so. But realizing I can share with others and still have plenty left for me is one of the best realizations in my life. I remember hearing my mother remind me to always share with my friends, my classmates, and my family. I remember reminding my children to be nice and share with others when they were little ones. My children weren’t always happy about it when I reminded them of this principle. And, if I’m truly honest about this, I probably wasn’t always too keen on sharing with others either when I was younger. This actually carried over into my adulthood too. I know it’s because there was a fear inside of me that caused me to act in a selfish way. The fear stemmed from worrying about losing what I had or not getting what I wanted. Read The Full Post

I was petrified of being in front of a camera. I made myself sick when someone suggested it and had every excuse in the book why I wasn’t meant to be in front of a lens. I realized all the excuses were lame fears and if I didn’t do it then how can I have the life I want? So I did it. The first time wasn’t pretty you can tell I was stiff and unyielding now when I watch it I laugh. Several people told me it was a great first attempt but why would I believe them? Can you guess what I discovered about myself? I created my very first video and I lived to create more. It didn’t kill me. Now I use video all the time. Whenever I feel that fear, I know I must push through. It is when I start to waver and let the fear take over that I think of the alternative. To crash and burn where I stand, being stuck unable to move forward. I ask myself is this what I want? How can I experience life and discover who I am if fear stops me? When you feel that fear, always ask yourself, what is the worst that can happen? What is the best? You never know what can happen next after you push past your comfort zone. If you do nothing, then surely the result will be nothing. But if you take action, there will be a reaction. Face your fears head on, refuse to remain content in complacency.

Tricia Dycka: Tricia is an Entrepreneur, life enthusiast, author, intuitive, funny, very candid, great listener. Take the path less traveled. Living in the moment. Enjoys massive amounts of chocolate and coffee. Supportive friend who is there for you when everyone else has abandoned you and thinks you have lost your mind. Encourages entrepreneurs to embrace themselves so they can create an environment that supports their dreams. You can find me at www.triciadycka.com

WHAT WILL YOU FIND?

Take 10% OFF any item in booth No. 517, home of Junkbox Treasures in Snohomish. 1108 1st St., Snohomish, WA

Are You In Your Zone? by Lori Latimer We all have them. Call them limits, call them comfort zones. They’re the box we stay safely tucked into in order to avoid our fears and our gremlins. The problem is that if you aren’t growing, you’re dying. And so is your business. One of the biggest signs that you’re avoiding stepping out of your comfort zone is procrastination. It comes in many forms: busy work such as housecleaning or organizing anything and everything. Making mindless phone calls that have little or nothing to do with business. Running errands. Two-hour lunches with “business associates” that are more social than business. The list is endless. Being an entrepreneur isn’t for the feint of heart, as anyone who’s taken that plunge knows. It takes courage to take the risks that entrepreneurs have to take. For most people, it’s a huge risk just to enter into the world of entrepreneurship – and that’s usually what keeps people from doing it. It’s often “safer” to remain an employee. But if that’s what you wanted, you wouldn’t have ever left the 9-5 world to begin with. Let’s face it: taking bigger, bolder steps out of your comfort zone can be terrifying! It can bring up an assortment of fears and self-doubts. What if I fail? What if I look like a fool? Who am I to think I can do this? Will anyone want this? Am I good enough to be this big? But you’ll never know unless and until you try. And really, haven’t we all found that our fears are usually over things that never happen anyway? One of the biggest reasons I started my business is because I don’t want to get to the end of my life with any regrets over anything I didn’t do or try. If I try something and it doesn’t work out, unless someone gets hurt or dies, is it really so bad? Of course not. I’ll just try something else, or try it a different way. The question is: How do you know you’re stuck in your comfort zone? One thing to do is to look at where your business is right now compared to one year ago. Has it grown, not only in the profit you’re making, but also in the products and services you offer? If not, you know you’re in that comfort zone.

Evaluation Time

Reevaluate your goals and determine where you want to be in 3 months, 6 months, one year. If you aren’t on track to meet them, then it’s time to take another step out of that comfort zone. And really dig deep to find out what fear is keeping you from taking that step. Whether it’s a small step or a large step – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you take that step.

Get A Cheerleader

Another way to step out of your comfort zone is by having a coach that will push you to keep moving past your limits. Whether it’s for business or personal issues, a coach will be your biggest cheerleader, but also challenge you to keep moving to the next level in your business. And a coach won’t let you use your fears as an excuse.

Get Personal

Something else you can do to step out of your comfort zone in business is to do it in your personal life. In the past 2 years, I’ve traveled alone for basically the first time in my life. That was a huge leap for me out of my previous comfort zone and brought up all kinds of fears I had, but doing that made it easier to take new risks in my business.

Climbing the Staircase

To grow, you have to take risks. It really is as simple as that. Don’t limit yourself by playing small. Just like climbing a staircase, you can’t get to the top unless you take the next step, and the one after that, and all the steps after that. But in the case of your business, the top is only limited by your courage to keep taking the next step. I believe it’s time for all of us to stop playing small and playing it safe. The more we get out of our own comfort zones, the more people we can help – and help them work through their fears and get out of their comfort zones.

Lori Latimer Lori helps women work through the issues they face as newly-single women. After working as a paralegal in family law for over 20 years and going through her own divorce, she discovered a way to heal the pain of past relationships and build a new life full of joy and passion. She now helps newly-single women and those going through divorce fall in love with themselves and their lives. You can find me at http://lorilatimer.com/

Written by Women, for Women IT’S ALL ABOUT

Break Out of The Box & Learn to Build the Life You Want!

Does every day seem like a struggle as you battle the negatives thrown your way by friends and family? Does it seem like you will never achieve your dream? Well, there is some great news! You CAN build the life you want and balance a successful business with a successful personal life. The Women of It’s All About YES! are not only committed to their own businesses and their own life’s plan, they are committed to sharing what they have learned along the way. Join them on Facebook. Get encouragement, ask questions, or just come to rant a bit. It’s all about Women Helping Other Women to Succeed!

You Need Your Fear by: Daye Salander

James T. Kirk: Damn it Bones, you’re a doctor. You know that pain and guilt can’t be taken away with the wave of a magic wand. They’re the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. [to Sybok] I don’t want my pain taken away! I need my pain!

forward. I do not shrink from it but embrace it.

Thus, for me, it is much the same thing with fear. I need it. It is part of me; who I was; who I am; and who I will become. It is a driving force that I use to propel myself

Interestingly enough, because I embrace my fear, many believe I have none and that is just not the case. I find many situations seriously scary. So how do I move past it? Some might call it strength of will. Some may call it having brass balls. Actually, it is neither. It is my ability to always ask the question, “What is the worst that can happen?” If I’m okay with the worst case scenario then I have nothing to lose and everything to gain and all of a sudden, it is not so very scary anymore. Sure, my mouth goes dry, my stomach reminds me that it houses a butterfly sanctuary, and my mind goes blank. I’m sometimes even gripped with fear in the form of back spasms. They rock me to the core as well as rock my world as I consider doing the impossible (that what I fear). But when you stop to think about it, if you permit fear to stop you from expanding your horizons as well as your skill set, fear wins. In my book that is just not an option. So welcome the fear. Acknowledge it and befriend it. Understand it and use it to your advantage because in almost every case you find out that that there was actually nothing to fear but the unknown. Fear is a powerful tool in your arsenal and in time you will understand that fear is a part of who you are; that you carry it through your life’s journey and that in reality, you need your fear.

Daye Salander Daye is a bit like a multi-colored coat for over the years she has followed dreams that have taken her in many directions; from graphic design, journalism, Webpage Coding & Creation to clothing design. In her most recent adventure, Daye has given into her love of antiques and the associated history and has become a antiques dealer.

http://JunkboxTreasures.com http://Facebook.com/JunkboxTreasures

Breaking Out!

by: Liz Nonnemacher As both a business owner and a human being, I seem to spend an awful lot of time breaking out of my comfort zone. Sometimes it seems that it’s all I ever do. There are days when I wish I was “normal” and just lived a mundane bump-free life. Of course, none of us can actually have that – but many times I feel as though I just push the envelope further than many people do. When I started Wickedly Chic over 5 years ago, I was completely clueless as to what I was doing and what the end goal was going to be. I wanted to find a way to support small businesses but also a way to make a living doing it. It’s a hard line to walk because I find that many small businesses want my services at no cost because they feel as though they don’t have any money to spend on marketing and promoting their business. It wasn’t easy to break out of that zone of feeling sorry for people and realizing that my time and services were more than valuable. Breaking out of your comfort zone means realizing that you have plenty to offer the world, and plenty to offer yourself. If you continue to do the same things that you have always done, you will receive the same results. Always. If you are content with that, that’s okay. But if you are not, read on. From my own personal experience of being an entrepreneur, I feel that it’s important to remember that you are going to be okay no matter what you do. If someone chastises you or decides that they don’t like what you are doing, so what? At the end of the day, you have yourself and your family and no one is going to come and bite you for pushing the envelope and your services. So once you decide that you will be fine, you can really start digging into your business. One of the many benefits of being a small business owner is that you can easily change things that are not working in your business. A program doesn’t work? Okay. Change it. One of your services is not working? Change it. Prices are too low? Change them. You are free to grab opportunities that come your way...or to ignore them. It’s all your call. Create the life that you were meant to live. Dream. Decide what is going to work for you. Call on others to help. There are plenty of us out there. Don’t work on an island. Reach out. Meet new people. Go way beyond that comfort zone. You’ll never regret it and the possibilities are endless.

Liz Nonnembacher Liz is the Editor of Wickedly Chic, http://www.wickedlychic.com/, the hottest destination for shoppers seeking advice and product recommendations from the world of independent businesses. Liz’s experience as trend-spotter for her two daughters led her to Wickedly Chic in June of 2006. She is passionate about independent business and works hard to keep her readers both entertained and informed and to promote the businesses that are marketed within Wickedly Chic.