Small Biz Forward March '16

VOL23 NO3

SUFFERING FROM SMALL BUSINESS BURNOUT? TIME FOR THIS AND TIME FOR THAT MULTI-TASKING MYTH FREEDOM HOW TO BE YOUR OWN PUBLICIST A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ENTREPRENEUR WORKING SMARTER IN A CROWDED MARKET

MARCH / $4.95

Put some zippity in your marketing doo-dah.

We can transform your ability to engage your market — just like we did with this magazine. Pleased to be the creative engine behind the relaunch of Small Biz Forward. Enjoy.

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Contents: 6

Suffering From Small Biz Burnout?

20

Freedom & Independence In A Hostile World.

Cindy Cohen

Ed Becher

9

22

Time For This & Time For That!

Cindy Taylor

10

Multi-Tasking Myth.

Jerry Sarno

12

A Day In The Life Of An Entrepreneur.

Nancy Becher

16

Women In MicroBusiness Is Not Business As Usual!

Linda S. Fitzgerald

18

Trust…An Essential Piece Of Building Engagement.

Dawn Cacciotti

Before You Get The Work Done, Ask “Is It The Right Work?”

Susan Trivers

24

How To Be Your Own Publicist!

Kimberly Harke

36

Working Smarter In A Crowded Market.

Adam Fleming

4

Enjoy The Freedom.

Nancy Becher

15

Freedom.

Adam Fleming

28

Master What?

Nancy Becher

38

Daydreaming To Success.

Jerry Sarno

40

Take A Walk On The Yellow Brick Road.

Ed Becher

Executive Editor Nancy Becher Layout & Design Wayne Sheldon Advertising nancy@success4biz.biz Subscriptions: 701 N. Prairie Street Sturgis, Michigan 49091 (269) 651-3555 www.SmallBizForward.com info@success4biz.biz Twitter @smallbizjunkie Facebook www.facebook.com/ bsuconnector LinkedIn www.linkedin/in/nancybecher Small Biz Forward is published monthly

by Celebrate Business Publishing, a division of Business Success Unlimited.

ISN 2332-5887 No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted into any form by any means without written consent from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All letters sent to Small Biz Forward (SBF) will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use are subject to SBF unrestricted right to edit and comment. © 2016 Celebrate Business Publishing | SBF 3

Enjoy the freedom.

We’re already a quarter of the way through 2016. MAN, is that a scary thought. How many of you are still working away on your goals from the beginning of the year? Remember, a goal is only as good as the work you put into it to make it happen!

I have revamped mine a couple of times already, but I’m still chugging ahead—making things happen to accomplish those oh-so-big dreams of mine. » Nancy Becher

Many of us started our businesses because we wanted the freedom to do our own thing—whether that be work our own hours, get paid what we think is appropriate, take time off for family and friends—lots of different and individual reasons. But freedom was most assuredly part of the scenario I can just about bet.

Now that we’re knee deep in the work involved in business ownership, I’ll also bet that picture of freedom has changed a great deal. For many of us we are working harder than we ever did when we were J-O-B-B-E-R-S. Right? More money? What money? Vacation? I think I remember when I had a vacation—oh about 10 years ago.

And now, I don’t even have friends that stand around my desk chatting about all the office gossip. I do find myself talking to myself, but it’s not quite the same thing. What about you?

This month’s issue of Small Biz Forward is all about freedom and independence in our businesses. Filled with tips and techniques that create, at least a bit more of that essence—while still helping us to grow and expand, the articles are guaranteed to give you the boosts that you need to get you to the next level of success.

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And there’s even a new bit of freedom here that gives you the ability to read the magazine either in print or online in our new website at www.smallbizforward.com. There are many who still like the feel of paper in our fingers, flipping through reading the articles. For me, I dog ear the pages so I know where to refer back to later when something catches my interest. For others, it’s all about looking at it online—on the web, through a tablet or even via our cell phones while riding the bus or in the cab going from meeting to meeting. Freedoms abound wherever!

I hope you enjoy this issue and I ask that whether you like it or not, you leave us a comment on the website at www.smallbizforward.com. You may just see your name in print! And that’s a great marketing tool for you and for your business as well In the meantime, have a productive, successful month!

This month’s issue of “Small Biz Forward” is all about freedom and independence in our businesses.

By Business Success Unlimited

A Retreat for Business Owners April 21-23, 2016

Chesapeake, Virginia

Learn, Plan, Grow DreamBigRetreat.com | SBF 5

Have you lost your dream of business success?

Work is piling up, first quarter deadlines, the kids home for spring break, the bills, the cold, rainy, snowy, dreary and overcast days. Then there’s the stress that comes with a sense of regret and disappointment for not sticking to your New Year’s resolutions to develop a healthier business bottomline and a healthier body. In fact, every day seems like a bad day right from the minute you wake up. » Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA

Suffering From Small Biz Burnout?

All this stress weighs heavy on you, leaving you feeling exhausted, run down, sick and so tired. You find yourself thinking you can’t wait for work to end so you can go home, curl up with your favorite blanket and hibernate the winter away.

Sound familiar?

If this is you maybe you are suffering from work stress burnout. The thing about work stress burnout is it doesn’t just stay at work, it’s like a virus spreading all over your life impacting those you care about at home too.

You may not have noticed you’re feeling the mental pain of burnout but your body does, telling you loud and clear if you are listening. Here’s how you know what to listen for.

Your thinking is suffering because you have so much on your mind you seem distracted and find it hard to say focused. Completing tasks seem 6 SBF |

to take longer than they did in the recent past. It’s hard to be clear on your intentions. Your problem solving skills, perspective and productivity is down too leaving you with a feeling of over-whelmed, frustrated and over stressed.

Your body is suffering with muscle aches and pains, dizziness, aches, pains, headaches, stomach upset, fatigue and tiredness. You forget to eat meals, make unhealthy food choices or not eating at all. During sleep you toss and turn with restless sleep and waking up throughout the night waking up more tired than when you went to bed.

Your spirit suffering too. You’ve lost your joy. You just don’t feel as happy as you usually do. You’ve lost your motivation. Getting things done just seems like more of an effort. Your relationships suffer too because you are irritable and impatient. You feel like nothing you do really makes a difference.

There’s nothing you can do to reduce the stressors in your life. The work won’t slow down, the bills won’t stop coming and you most likely won’t wake up tomorrow in utopia.

However you can change how you and your body reacts to stress by taking steps towards controlling what’s controllable, engaging in healthy lifestyle habits.

It’s never wise to stay in a job or any situation where your mental, physical and spiritual well-being suffers.

Maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at your situation. Here are some actions steps you can take to reduce some of the stress in your life.

You may not have noticed you’re feeling the mental Action Step 1. pain of You have to sleep. burnout You have more control over your but your sleep than you think you do. You pick the time you go to bed, what you do body does, before bed and the environment you telling you sleep in. Going to bed at the same loud and time, waking up on a schedule and clear if lying in bed seven or more hours gives your mind and body a break to heal you are and repair itself. There’s nothing like listening. not getting enough sleep to put you in a bad mood.

Action Step 2.

You have to eat.

The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) completed a study on eating patterns, skipping meals and mood swings. They found

skipping meals can lead to binge eating, bigger emotional responses, poor concentration, increased stress, and an overall lower sense of well-being. People who don’t eat at regular interval suffer from more depression than people who eat spaced meals and snacks 3 to 4 hours apart and choose a healthy protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains at each meal. The resources I most often recommend for healthy food choices are www.ChooseMyPlate.gov and www.YourJuicePlus.com. According to the U.S.D.A. to maintain good health your body needs around 2,000 -2,500 healthy calories, so eat up!

Action Step 3. You have to drink.

A new study, led by Coleen Muñoz, and to be published in Appetite studied the factors that affect mood, such as exercise, caffeine and water consumption. The study showed the greater the water consumption, the better the mood. The better hydrated you are the less tension, confusion and depression. How much water should you drink to stay healthy? Depends on your eating habits, how active you are, if you have a medical condition but on average for women 9 cups and men 13 cups. So drink up!

Action Step 4. You have to move.

You may have heard when you exercise you feel better. It’s true. Exercise releases brain chemicals called endorphins that boost your mood and make you feel good. The American Heart Association recommend 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, but really any exercise is better than no exercise. Even short a short walk is a step in the right direction.

Action Step 5. Just say no.

Limit new projects you take on. Sometimes when you say yes you are piling on more work and reducing your “me” time. You may not be able to control your work but you can your friend activities. If you are not at your physical, mental and spiritual best it’s really hard to help someone else, not matter how good a friend they are to you.

Action Step 6. Stay positive.

According to a psychology study featured on ABC News, research shows that up to 40 percent of our mood can be controlled through our daily thoughts and actions. A step in the right direction is to focus on the positive. To do this you have to identify what they are. Try this. Make a list of 2-3 positive things that happen to you every day. At the end of the week, read the list out loud 2 times. You’ll be surprised on how positive you will begin to feel about your life. For other ideas go to www.helpguide.com

Action Step 7: Make time for fun.

Sometimes distraction is the best step for escaping stress.

Try taking a mental vacation for a day or just few minutes.

Away time gives you new perspective and rejuvenates your spirit. Being with people you love, places you feel comfortable and safe and doing what you love can breathe fresh air into your spirit. Nurturing yourself is important to a joyful life.

Undoing burnout takes patience, time and commitment.

You’re not going to wake up tomorrow and be all better.

However, as you work your way back to feeling better, more focused, energetic and happier you will experience a renewed since of well-being.

Getting yourself back on track is simple but not easy.

It’s always easier with the help of friends. Sometimes friends aren’t qualified to give you advice, support and the direction you need in that case seek the advice of a health coach, executive coach, or medical professional.

Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA Certified Health Coach Wellness Consultant WELCOA Faculty C2 Your Health LLC 800.245.8917 www.CindyCohenRN.com

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Time for this and time for that!

I love working from home! I love that a Direct Sales business is flexible. I can work it alongside my family so I can be there when needed. The one thing that can get overlooked in this plan is the fact that you still have to work! » Cindy Taylor

That is where a plan becomes necessary, so you don’t miss out on the fun of being home with your kiddies.

For me, I already had a lot on my plate with raising 3 young children when I decided to add a business into our family. In order to make it work, I had to set up a few ground rules so I could work smart, not hard which would defeat the whole point of this shift.

Here are some ideas to consider in order to make your business flourish... and keep your family happy too!

Have a family meeting and discuss how each member will be involved in your business. Talk about WHY you are wanting to build a business (ie. to pay for summer camp or save for a family trip…or any number of other reasons that get your family excited) and talk about how the children’s contribution is important to reach these goals. Children can help sort orders, sticker catalogues or even attend parties as your assistant.

Have a discussion with your hubby and negotiate specific times when you can work your business and he takes care of the kids. When doing Direct Sales, often times you need to make calls in the evening so once this time is set and your hubby agrees, you can work without feeling guilty that you aren’t helping with the night time routine. You are able to focus and get the job done if you are both on the same page! And…dad gets some special time with the kids too!

Put all your “Must Do” tasks on your calendar so you can plan around them. This includes all weekly meetings, school plays, sporting events etc. Then add in your “Business Hours” so you know when it is time to work. Just be sure to focus on ‘money making activities’ and not scrolling through Facebook during this scheduled time...make it count.

Will these hours be 9-5? Not likely but that is the point of you being in charge of your own schedule...you work when YOU want to work! And then be sure to have your “Play Hours” marked off so you don’t miss out on one of the

In order to make it work, I had to set up a few ground rules so I could work smart, not hard which would defeat the whole point of this shift.

biggest perks of working from home.

If you are like me, if it makes it onto the calendar, it happens so get all the important stuff scheduled.

This is a good start to setting your boundaries. You should be able to breathe a bit easier already! If you are going to be away from your family, even if it is just in the next room, you will want to make it worth it! Often little shifts in thinking will make HUGE payoffs in your business and your family. Okay…go schedule that family meeting and get started!

Cindy Taylor is a Business Coach with Grow Great Companies with over 30 years experience in the Direct Sales industry. She loves digging deep with business owner to find out WHY they want to be successful in their businesses…and then working to set up a step by step plan to help her clients realize their goals. Connect with her via www.growgreatcompanies.com or her CindyBiz Coaching Facebook page.

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Multi-Tasking Myth.

Many of us wear the ability to juggle multiple tasks as a badge of honor. We see ourselves as finely tuned machines, capable of wrapping up four reports while answering email and eating lunch. » Jerry Sarno

Not only We no longer kick back and watch television; we cozy up our smartphone to live tweet the program while did the with flipping between the six Internet browser tabs we have multi- open on our tablet at any given time. Killing two birds with taskers one stone is no longer the norm: we want to take down perform six at once. poorly While we have convinced ourselves multi-tasking is the when most effective way to cross items off our to-do list, recent given studies disagree. Multi-tasking could be doing more harm concurrent than good by slowing us down and making us sloppy. In cases—like texting and driving—it can be downright tasks, they some dangerous. lagged behind By Any Other Name when they Some experts have given multi-tasking a new name: task There are some tasks—like cooking dinner while attempted switching. balancing a baby on your hip or chatting with the neighbor to do one while weeding the garden—which we can undertake thing at simultaneously. But when it comes to the tough stuff, a time as multi-tasking requires your brain to switch rapidly between well. tasks.

Psychologist Guy Winch, author of Emotional First Aid: Practical Strategies for Treating Failure, Guilt and Other Everyday Psychological Injuries, says task switching hinders productivity because a person’s energy and attention is expended on the shift rather than the task itself.

“It’s like a pie chart, and whatever we’re working on is going to take up the majority of that pie,” he says. “There’s not a lot left over for other things, with the exception of automatic behaviors like walking or chewing gum.”

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Brain Game

The brain is an amazing and complex organ but it too has its limitations.

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for planning complex cognitive behavior and executive function. Its left and right sides work together when focused on a singular task.

In a 2010 study, French scientists discovered once a secondary task is thrown into the mix, the sides work independently. Put a third task in the mix and people routinely lose track of what is going on—there are no lobes left to do the work.

So if true multi-tasking is a cognitively impossible endeavor, why are people so attached to the idea?

Professor Daniel Levin, of the Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Department at McGill University, suspects it has to do with our brain’s reward system. Switching tasks depletes the glucose in the brain and makes us foggy. A detector fires dopamine when we start a new task, waking us back up and making us feel warm and fuzzy.

“The dopamine rewards circuit is what’s responsible for people getting addicted to cocaine and heroin,” said McGill, in a Paper Mag interview. “So, the idea is people are going to be resistant because it feels like they are multi-tasking, and it feels good. But multi-tasking doesn’t work—people get less done.

“They think they are getting more done but their judgment is off. Not only do they get less done but their work is less creative.”

Big Repercussions

Science has proven multitaskers aren’t just bad at completing more than one task at once: they’re less efficient when it comes to singular tasks as well. When late Stanford University professor Clifford Nass kicked off a research study into multi-tasking in 2009, he expected those who frequently attended to multiple tasks at once would outperform their peers. What he found was the complete opposite. Not only did the multi-taskers perform

poorly when given concurrent tasks, they lagged behind when they attempted to do one thing at a time as well.

“One would think that if people were bad at multi-tasking, they would stop. However, when we talk with the multitaskers, they seem to think they’re great at it and seem totally unfazed and totally able to do more and more and more,” said Nass, in a 2009 PBS interview. “…we worry that it may be creating people who are unable to think well and clearly.”

Someone who is multi-tasking and faces interruption takes about 50 percent longer to complete their task of priority.

During that time, 50 percent more errors are made. A University of London study found multi-tasking with electronic media kills your IQ more than a sleepless night or smoking marijuana. Knowing this, it is hard to believe any of us would have the time or desire to multi-task.

Mono, Not Multi

Many productivity coaches will tell you mono-tasking is the new multi-tasking. You may not be ready to embrace the concept wholeheartedly off the bat but we should all try to ease ourselves into a work flow where we focus on one thing at a time.

If you’re easily distracted by the non-stop deluge of notifications on your phone, mute it and stash it out of sight. Prioritize tasks, create lists, schedule your workday and then force yourself to stick to it. Work with your attention span, not against it, by organizing assignments in 15 or 20 minute blocks.

Try it for a week and see if it changes your day for the better. Adopting new practices may be unpleasant at first but can pay big dividends in the long run.

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A day in the life of an entrepreneur.

Up at 5, make the coffee, fix a quick protein shake or grab some yoghurt (if you’re like me), turn on the TV to see the news, read the newspaper, and then off to work you go—even if work is only around the corner in your spare bedroom. » Nancy Becher

The computer buzzes to life and 100 emails pop up, all calling for your immediate attention. You take a quick glance at your calendar and see that you’ve got 3 meetings, 5 conference calls and you have to take Meghan (your 10-year-old) to a dentist appointment. You’re ready to go back to bed, pull up the covers over your head and hide. It’s too much. And what makes it worse, you’re not making any money. All this spinning, and there doesn’t seem to be a payday in sight.

Sound familiar? If you’re like a lot of small business owners out there—people with a dream of success—wanting to be able to call their time their own, have money to spend on the things they want (vacation, new car, college education for the children—whatever the dream), and time to enjoy family and friends.

According to a recent Gallop poll, “57% of Americans would [own their own business], while 40% would choose to work for someone else. Among people who are actually employed, the margin in favor of being their own boss is even greater —61% to 38%.” (Moore, 2005). That tells me that we all have dreams, and whatever those dreams may be, there are similar avenues that we all go down to make that dream come true.

What type of business do you start? Probably something that you know a lot about—if you’ve made widgets all your life, I bet you open your doors selling something to do with widgets. And they might be the best widget out there— but what about everything else that goes along with that item? Things like who is going to buy them? What price should you charge that not only covers expenses, but brings in a profit? How do you get people to know about your new business? And on and on. Here’s where you can fall down. You get so busy working IN your business that you don’t take the time to work ON the strategies and plans for growth that are oh so important.

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You get so busy working IN your business that you don’t take the time to work ON the strategies and plans for growth that are oh so important.

But when you’re the “chief cook and bottle washer” doing everything yourself, it’s a bit difficult to take that time to think through the methods and strategies. What’s more, how do you even know what those are?

You don’t have time to go to school and get an MBA do you? Hardly. So, the thinking part gets pushed to the side and the merry-go-round keeps turning. What’s the answer?

Take time away from the craziness!

“WHAT? How can I do that? Are you crazy?” Nope. Do a Google search of Fortune 500 CEOs and business retreats and you will find that many believe in getting away from the office on a regular basis to help them think and strategize—without the noise of phones, employees, problems and issues interrupting them. Sir Richard Branson believes so strongly in this concept that he actually bought an island which is used for his own employees and others to get time away.

It’s not all about relaxation however —much of what goes on in a business retreat is working with other “likeminded” business owners to learn, to restructure thoughts and to network.

What a great way to come together and focus on issues and strategies that are critical to business. When you are at a business retreat you have the opportunity to meet and connect with other business owners that are also looking for ways to grow their businesses. As well, “’You can look at what other entrepreneurs are doing and ask how does this happen, and they can hit you over the head with the most obvious thing,’ says Denise Blasevick of The S3 Agency.”

(Dembling, 2014)

And that’s where the Dream BIG Retreat comes in. It’s a weekend to get away from the office, to get to know and connect with new business people, to learn or relearn techniques, strategies and more, while spending time in a relaxed and dare we say even FUN environment. And the best part of the retreat: this small and intimate group of businesses each get the opportunity to sit down with the experts and put together their very own plans that they can implement in their businesses immediately—helping them to grow successfully—quickly and effectively. For more information on the retreat, check out the website at www.dreamBIGretreat.com.

Registration is under way and the early-bird registration is running until February 28th.

Nancy Becher, CEO, Business Success Unlimited, Small Biz Forward Magazine, and Dream BIG Retreats, has been helping SMBs since she was 12 years old when she opened her first business, Things-N-Stuff, a craft retail store that she ran with her mom and sister. Her monthly magazine, Small Biz Forward, shares the writing of various entrepreneurs who have been there, done that, and are willing to share with others their successes and failures. You can find her on Facebook, LinkedIn and her various websites (www.success4biz. biz; www.smallbizforward.com; and www.dreamBIGretreat.com).

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Taking the liberty to work with your purpose in mind will give you joy. » Adam Fleming

Freedom.

There’s drudgery inherent in every job. I don’t care if you only work four hours a week— there are going to be days when those four hours feel like a pain in the butt.

A large portion of what I do comes directly from an understanding of my unique design and mining my past experiences for clues about my purpose, creative approaches to living it out today, and a specific vision for the future towards which I am working.

There are three pretty simple steps to determining if you really are working towards your purpose.

First: I don’t care who you are, you’ve been given something for the world. You carry it within you. Ask yourself: If there was a big red button I could push and change something in this world for everyone, what would it be?

The more specific your answer, the better. Answers could be anything from “Nobody would be hungry” to “everyone could be their own boss”.

The second question is who do you carry it for? In the “nobody would be hungry” category, you might specifically care about school children in districts with fewer resources, it could be blue collar factory workers, it could be people in Madagascar, and it could be the ultra-wealthy in upscale neighborhoods in New York City.

The third piece is “how do you deliver it?” This will somewhat depend on the “who” question. For example, you may drive a truck or run a trucking company to deliver food to schools, you might market for greasy spoon diners catering to those blue collar workers, you might start a nonprofit to gather food and ship it to Madagascar, or you might become a chef on 5th Ave. All those things could be delivery methods for HOW you provide solutions to people.

right. Instead of concerning myself with niche, I’m building a personal brand. That means I can have a broader appeal; what I really want people to see is that working with me means having a real friend alongside.

There are two things I’m in for the long term, and these are the delivery methods. The first one is life coaching.

After nearly a decade of continuous study and practice in an industry that’s arguably only 22 years old, I’m one of the best anywhere. The second thing is writing. Now how does writing provide friendship? Of course it’s a marketing avenue, but there’s more to it than that.

I heard it said by a long-time magazine editor that he or she could identify within a paragraph or two of reading a short story submitted for publication whether or not the author loved people. My reaction was: Wow. Does it really show that quickly?

Groucho Marx said “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside a dog, it’s too dark to read.” I do believe that readers have a sense of companionship with their favorite authors.

There’s drudgery inherent in every job. I don’t care if you only work four hours a week—there are going to be days when those four hours feel like a pain in the butt. That all matters a whole lot less when you identify these three simple things: What do I carry, who is it for, and how do I get it to them?

To give you an idea of how this works, I’ll share my own understanding of my own life. My big red button answer is “Everyone should have at least one good friend”.

My “who” is pretty broad. I work with missionaries, pastors, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs and artists. If that seems like too broad a swath to even think of it as a niche, you’re

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Women in MicroBusiness. It’s Not Business as Usual!

When the ‘plug fit into the outlet’ it was beautiful to behold.

I recall the lighthearted joy I felt when the connection was a perfect fit.

That’s one of the things I love about the simple little business book, “The Go Giver.” It’s about people and relationships and adding value and…everything that’s not business-as-usual. » Linda S. Fitzgerald

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The laws of stratospheric success are awesome, but not the subject of this article. This one focuses on what I call the “law of connection”. Connection and the immense value it has for those connected—as well as for the connector!

My first career role was that of local hospital social service director. It was the late 70s and things were very different in health care at the time.

My position included what I called “soup to nuts” and often involved making connections between those who had needs and those who had the capability of filling those needs.

When the ‘plug fit into the outlet’ so to speak; it was beautiful to behold. I recall the light-hearted joy I felt when the connection was a perfect fit and

all were happy with the outcome. The pay-off for me was a deep sense of satisfaction of a job well done. I didn’t think of it as having added value to other’s lives.

But that’s exactly what it was. And when we add value to the lives of others­—it’s often not forgotten.

People still remember a connection I made for them and a loved one nearly 40 years later.

The same is true when it comes to business and sales. All business is sales—if not a product; a person. And in the case of the solo-entrepreneur or micro-business owner, you are the person. You must first sell yourself to

others. And part of the success of doing so is taking one’s ego out of the game. We won’t always sell to every person we meet in the course of our business lives.

» Ask questions. Learn about her; her family; her deepest desires for her life; what she most wants to accomplish personally, professionally and spiritually.

But we can be the one who is remembered long after an initial contact and lingering connection. When our ego is out of the way; then concentrating on how to add value to another’s life becomes uppermost in our minds. And one way to do that is to find out who she’s looking to meet at this time; and make the connection to the person we know who just might fulfill her need.

» Ask if there’s a connection she’d like you to make for her.

Call it a warm qualified referral or anything you wish; the point is you have added value to the life of another and will not be forgotten anytime soon. Most of all—it will come back to you at some point in your life. Yes, you may feel the warm rush of joy at 1st blush of making the connection; but a reciprocal event will occur for you as the future unfolds.

Let me suggest we begin with the idea of making connec­ tions happen for others before we consider “selling” anything but ourselves: » Build the relationship by being a woman who can be trusted. A woman who doesn’t make unrealistic promises that can’t be fulfilled. » Focus on the other person. A genuine focus for no other reason than to get to know her better.

» If at all possible; be the connector between her and the person she’d like to meet.

Each of us has a circle or sphere of influence that includes at least 250 to 500 people. Somewhere in our sphere is a person or persons with whom we can connect others. It may not be a direct connection; but it will eventually lead to the outcome desired. For her—and for you!

When I look at what’s truly important to the success of women in business; it’s not the hard skills we can gain from school, workshops, conferences, etc. It’s the soft sides of business that involve personal character, integrity and ethical practices in every aspect of life.

Learn all you can of the hard skills; but concentrate most on developing your personal character, integrity and business ethics. It’s those that will add value.

For it’s the “soft skills” that add value. Learn all you can of the hard skills; but concentrate most on developing your personal character, integrity and business ethics. It’s those that will add value.

The kind that comes back to us every time!

Linda S. Fitzgerald, CEO & Visionary Partner A Women’s Place Network, Inc dba Affiliated Women International (AWI) Home of Neighborhood Boutiques & COFFEE in the NEIGHBORHOOD

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Trust…An Essential Piece of Building Engagement.

Building trust throughout an organization is not easy. It is even harder to gain it back once it is lost. » Dawn Cacciotti

When conducting an engagement survey the first question that I look at to see if there is positive growth year over year, is the essential question on whether the employees feel there is an environment of trust throughout the organization. This one question lets the leadership know if they are on the right path overall. It lets them know if the investment they are making in their people are helping to shape the culture they are working towards. It helps predict the business outcomes across the organization.

Trust drives engagement. It is the key starting point for any organization. If a company wants to build the organizational culture, have a committed and energized staff, and ultimately advance business results they need to ensure that there is a mindset of trust that permeates the organization.

Here are 5 actions that can help build trust throughout an organization: Treat everyone as a leader: Engage your entire staff in achieving the strategy. Make sure they know and understand the direction the organization is moving and the importance 18 SBF |

of their role to accomplishing that strategy. Everyone should have goals that contribute to and tie into accomplishing their department/ unit goals and understand how those goals tie into the overall strategy of the organization. It’s always amazing to me how many employees tell me they have no idea what the strategic goals are for their organization or how their role is important to helping them accomplish it. If staff is treated as leaders and important contributors to the overall success of the organization, they will rise to the occasion.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate: Keep your team up to date on all the happenings throughout the organization.

Allow different members of the organization to speak and share the really incredible initiatives they are working on instead of the usual leader standing up to tell everyone about what is happening in their department. Keep lines of communication open through all media so that the messages get through in whatever vehicle works best for that person.

Be seen: Talk to your people. Be out on the floor. Know what is important to your people and not just at work.

What drives them? What motivates them? Take the time each morning or throughout the day to stop at their work area and engage in a conversation; not only will they appreciate it; you may learn something.

Laugh with your team: Encourage humor and laughter in the workplace. There is countless research on the benefits of laughter and having fun at work; ranging from increased brain power, reduction of stress, increases in creativity; improved productivity and my personal favorite—it is said to burn 3.5 calories every time you have a good laugh.

What’s not to like about that?

Provide Feedback: Providing feedback is an essential piece to the follow-up of treating everyone as a leader. Every leader needs to know and should receive praise when they have exceeded expectations. Every leader also needs to know when they haven’t hit the mark—let them know what they did, how to improve, that you support them and then move on and upward. Share the positive accomplishments and when rewarding—since you followed Number 3 “Be Seen”—you know how best to reward them because you know what motivates them and is important to them.

Money, most of the time, is not their key motivator and is very fleeting so think about what matters to them.

There obviously are a number of tactics for building trust and no one-size fits all actions for each organization, but having a committed leadership team that is focused on building a mindset of trust in their organization puts them on the right path towards success.

Dawn Cacciotti founded EngageHRnow, LLC, an HR Consulting firm specializing in Engagement and Human Capital Solutions for small to mid-size associations and businesses, following a successful career that included an executive role in an award-winning Association, executive roles in start-up and growth concepts, and a leadership role with a Fortune 100 organization.

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Freedom & Independence in a Hostile World.

As a security consultant, trainer and protector, I have an obligation to my clients to ensure that they are given Freedom and Independence to conduct their business in many diverse environments. » Ed Becher PPS

Not all of you have the option to strictly work either from a dedicated office or home; some of us are road warriors. But no matter what environment we work in, our personal safety and that of our clients, staff and family should always be something we consider as we develop new contacts, plan new meetings in different and unique locations.

Having just completed teaching a 4-day Low Profile Executive Protection class with some highly motivated students, I think we all took away some lessons. In this program we stress on the students to develop the mindset of being what is called the “Gray Man”, that man or woman who no one notices, the person who does not stand out in a crowd. How many of you have ever gone to an event, asked a friend or co-worker if they have seen a particular person and their reply is, “Yeah, he/she is sitting right there, you walked past them two or three times.”

You most likely saw them as you walked past each time, but you just did not notice them, they blended into the environment.

This is something we must all consider when we go out to that meeting or event. What is the dress for the event, can we attend this event a little less dressy? What is the location of the event, would dressing in a particular style make you stand out more? Know your environment, especially when that location is new to you or you have not been there for some time. Things change daily—what today was a good neighborhood, a month from now may not be as safe.

Maintaining your situational awareness should always be your first priority on a daily basis. Knowing what is or is not happening around you can be a good clue that it is time to leave that location, or make preparation to leave. Every time you go someplace either new or where you have been before one of the first things to do is identify the exits, keep in mind that the way you came in may 20 SBF |

not be the way you will need to exit in an emergency.

As business owners and entrepreneurs, the ability to maintain our freedom and the independence we have now is critical to our businesses.

What you carry with you every day can go a long way to keeping you safe in a critical situation. How many of you have a light of some source with you, whether this be on your smart phone or a small flashlight? Whether you carry a purse, briefcase or backpack, I strongly recommend that a light be in those bags. Even during the day time, if you’re in a building and they have a loss of power it can get dark enough inside to need that light. Another item that should be in these bags is some form of multitool like a Leatherman. These have many uses not just in an emergency but quite possibly for everyday use. These are two items that make up what is called my ‘Everyday Carry’, its items that I have on me every day I leave the house.

Everyday Carry, (EDC), has become popular with many people and as business owners we should consider it also.

When we talk about EDC,

Everyday Carry, (EDC), has become popular with many people and as business owners we should consider it also.

I am talking about having some small items with you in case of an emergency. I have already talked about a light source and a multi-tool, but how about a back-up battery supply for your cell phone? How aggravating is it to need your smart phone and see that your battery is dead because you have played “Bubble Witch2” way too many times today. If some reason you are required to stay in one location for some time that has no power, how will you communicate your situation to others. If you have power, how many of you have a power cord for that phone in your briefcase or purse?

One other item I will talk about is a small first aid kit. This can be carried in your vehicle or that briefcase.

How many times have we needed a Band-Aid and no one had one? A small boo-boo kit can be beneficial and may even make you look good to that client or potential client who just got that papercut. These do not have to be elaborate kits, just some band aids, a couple of 2x2 and 4x4 gauze pads, some tape and a small roll of gauze placed in a plastic bag. BAMMM, you’re set for that small cut.

Your ‘Freedom and Independence’ to conduct your business is up to you to maintain. Stay safe, stay alert and have a good time.

Ed Becher, (Ret.) US Marine and Former Chief Instructor, US Dept. of State, Uniformed Branch, Diplomatic Security Service is the owner of Center for Protection, Security and Personal Safety (The Bodyguard Academy) which is a provider of training and resources to keep you, your staff and clients safe. He can be contacted at ed@thebodyguardacademy.com or by phone at (269) 651-3355.

Book(s) of the month.

Whether we consciously know this or not, our psyche has a great deal to do with how we make it through the day and how we manage our businesses. How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life (Hardcover—February 2, 2016) is a great read about just that. According to Amazon.com, this book shares recent findings from behavioral economics, psychology, and neuroscience to transform our approach to everyday working life. It is on the Amazon Top 20 books to read in 2016. If you are at all interested in what makes things “tick”, I suggest reading this book.

Another on the must read books of 2016 is It’s Your Ship, written by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. It’s the story of his becoming the Commander of the USS Benfold and how he changed the management of this military vessel to one of the best run in the fleet. If you are managing a business (even if you’re only managing YOU) this is something to read and learn from.

The third book we sharing this month is: Unbreakable Confidence: How To Think Confidently, Live Fearlessly, And Achieve Your Dreams—Be The Hero Of Your Story.

Zoe McKey tells us in the book that there are times when we all feel our self esteem is not what it should be, we fear looking silly in front of others, and so much more.

But as Amazon.com describes, “Unbreakable Confidence is full of real-life examples, stories, and lessons to equip you for confident change. This is a book of action: proven techniques and advice with exercises to make your success inevitable and swift.”

Good reading.

If you are more inclined to listen, YouTube has a great many videos from TedTalks to Entrepreneur. Go online and do a bit of searching. I know you’ll come up with some great programs.

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Before You Get the Work Done, Ask “Is It the Right Work?”

Without revenue, there is nothing else.

Every decision a business owner leader makes has to pass the revenue test: “Does this decision I’m about to make help us grow revenue? If so, how does it contribute to fast revenue growth?” » Susan Trivers, The Revenue Driver

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These are the 7 key decisions for owner leaders: What do we offer? The owner leader must take complete responsibility for deciding what it is the company will offer. When the leader decides and is committee to the offerings, everything else that follows benefits from the power of that commitment. Your marketing collateral across all media will reflect that commitment clearly and persuasively. Your sales and customer service staff will reflect that commitment. Your back-office decisions will reflect that commitment.

The question “What is the value of our offerings?” is also properly answered by the owner leader. Value is what the buyer gets from heir purchase, sometimes in tangible terms, very often in intangible terms. If the owner cannot articulate dramatic value, no one else will be able to. No marketing expert, media company or graphic designer can correctly reflect the value until the owner articulates it clearly and repeatedly.

Closely intertwined with what you offer and the value of the offerings is identifying the best buyers for those offerings. The answer is never “everyone.” The owner leader is responsible for painting a picture of the best buyers. By ‘best buyers’ I mean a combination of qualities: interest (not need); desire for the value; and willingness wwto buy now. Your high-value offerings will carry a higher price or fee, and your best buyers are those who will look at what they get from the cost, which is not the same as the cost. They will be comfortable making a decision quickly.

“How do we find the best buyers?” is asked by every business every day. The owner leader has a circle of people within which he or she resides. The leader has to look closely at this circle and then map who each person knows, and who those people know, and so on, two or three times out from the center. Getting started in business relies mainly on relationships, and it’s the leader who has them and has to build on them.

Owner leaders have to choose from many avenues to reach their best buyers. Should we rely on speaking, networking, lead share or tip groups, advertising, direct mail, social media and/or digital marketing such as newsletters and promotions? Leaders will get many opinions from people with biases towards one or another of these options. Leaders must always evaluate the options from the perspective of “Where are our best buyers likely to see and hear us?” The answer: face-to-face.

Your sales process needs to consist of three parts, all working simultaneously over time: creating great, highvalue offerings, telling your best buyers about them, and providing excellent and nurturing service before, during and after the sale. Avoid ‘proven processes’ and sales tactics like the plague. You are the business for now and that’s a very powerful sales tool.

“How do we nurture our best buyers?” requires relentless focus of leader owners for long-term success. The owner leader has the vision, deeply understands these best buyers and knows that the more they are nurtured the more they will support the business and the greater the wealth of the business. There is no substitute for owner leaders nurturing the company’s best buyers.

“What does the owner leader not do?” If it is not on this list, don’t do it.

In other words: Outsource booking keeping and other back-office work. When you outsource these things you make more time to do everything only you can do. There are many small business companies designed specifically to help your small business Let social media alone for awhile. Forget social media calendars and trying to post on every outlet and keeping it all straight and up to date. Your business will grow first on the strength of your personal relationships. The more time you spend with best buyers, the less you will need social media.

Forget complicated sales management software and CRM systems. You can keep simple notes on the first 50-100 buyers, and it’s better to spend time with them taking hand-written notes than to spend any time or money filling out forms and automating records.

Resist pressure from others trying to get you to take advantage of special, limited time offers or to follow the latest and greatest techniques. If an offer or choice does not directly grow your revenue, the answer is always “not now.” That’s leadership and that’s revenue growth.

Susan Trivers, The Revenue Driver, is a valued advisor who helps executive owners and entrepreneurs accelerate their company’s revenue growth and build owner wealth.

Without revenue there is nothing else and without high-value offerings made for your best buyers there is no revenue growth. Over the past 17 years, Susan has helped clients generate revenue exceeding $4 billion. www.susantrivers.com

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How to be your own publicist!

Do you want to make a bigger name for yourself and your business? Your goal is to establish yourself as THE expert in your field. » Kimberly Hartke

The power of media can be harnessed on behalf of your business; you just need to know how to do it. A professional publicist looks at your talents, abilities, media acumen and then figures out how to package you and market you to the press.

If you want to do-it-yourself, here are some tips for how to generate publicity on your own.

many superlatives. Include in the bio any professional accreditations, associations. The bio should end with your current media credits, if you have any, such as newspapers or radio interviews where you have been featured. Then, with your friends help, do a practice interview and write down the logical questions that draw out your “story.”

Assemble a Media Kit

The media kit then becomes content for your website, and can be attached to an email and sent to a reporter who has shown an interest. Post the media kit materials on your website under a “Press” or “Media” tab on your Home page menu.

Building your media kit is the first step. You will need a great headshot, a ¾ body shot and a brief business biography (one or two paragraphs), and talking points (a list of 10 questions that you can readily answer about your field of expertise). Find a local photography studio and get some photos taken for your “media kit.” Ask a friend who loves to write to help you craft a short bio that describes your business and professional experience without too

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Assess Your Media Skills

Second, you need to analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Are you uncomfortable in front of a camera?

Do you stammer when you are interviewed? If so, you need to define your PR goals to focus on newspapers and magazines rather than the broadcast media. But, if you are an extrovert and love the lights, camera and action, then you ought to seek interview opportunities in TV and radio. You can practice by starting your company’s YouTube channel, and put up short 1-3 minute videos about your company, its people or your products. Also, many community access cable shows are looking for guests. This is another great way to dress rehearse media

appearances. You will also get a lot of local airtime, as these shows tend to be repeated many times throughout a season.

Build a Press List

Now that you have packaged yourself and know what your goals are, it is time to build a press list. Collect local magazines, newspapers, that service your market area and look for the masthead inside the publication which lists the Publisher, Editor and Advertising contacts. Your best contact is the Managing Editor, which is the person who assigns story ideas to the different section editors, who then choose a reporter to do the story. Make a spreadsheet of the key contacts and their emails you find on the masthead and you have the beginning of your press list.

If you are comfortable with the idea of TV or radio, start listening to your local radio stations and you’ll hear the News Director’s name every hour when he reads the news. The News Director is a great person to get to know at every station. Add them to your list.

A pro- At your local TV station, the Editor is the go-to fessional Assignment person. They can tell you if they publicist are looking for someone from your looks industry to comment on current at your events or if they have a business where they feature guest talents, segment interviews. abilities, media Write a Press Release acumen When someone in your company something noteworthy, or your and then does business breaks new ground, this is figures a good opportunity to garner news out how to coverage. A one page press release package with the Who, What, When, Where, and How is a prerequisite for you and Why, getting the journalists interested. market Search online for a sample press you to the release and start practicing by writing press. up your news story. Pretend you are

the reporter writing the news from an objective standpoint. You can quote yourself in the release but don’t write

it from your point of view. The release needs to be so journalistic that a community newspaper can run it as is, without many changes. It can’t be puffery or braggadocio. It needs to be a report of the news.

Get your News Distributed

Once you have mastered the writing of the release, you now want to disseminate your release to the journalists on your press list. Send out your press release in the body of an email and any photos as attachments.

Here’s hoping you get the ink you deserve!

Kimberly Hartke is the owner of Hartke Communications, a PR, Marketing, and Advertising firm based in Reston, VA. Visit her website, hartkepr.com. Follow her company in social media: Facebook. com/hartkepr

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Conference Speakers and their Workshops:

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Christie Browning This is a whole new approach on how to “kick the clock.” The previous methods didn’t seem to work. This interactive workshop allows you to gain control, run your calendar efficiently and sift through commitments, without feeling like you are overwhelmed.

Dawn Cacciotti What is employee engagement? What does engagement look like in the workplace?

Does employee engagement really take an organization from good to great? How does engagement positively impact the organization results? What are key areas of engagement that help lead an organization to becoming great? Next steps to driving engagement

Ali Cudby How do you create “white hot” loyalty for your company? To have this element in your business is critical. It provides a proven revenue growth of 35% within 90 days. In addition to this, better skills on a personal level, with employees and family.

Julie Gray, COC, ACC Do you know what you need to do, but can’t get yourself to do it? We examine the possibilities and uncover an approach to move toward the results you desire. Break free from the Cycle of Resistance and don’t rely on discipline and willpower.

Kimberly Hartke Kimberly Hartke is a publicist and owner of Hartke Communications, a virtual public relations firm, serving nonprofit and business clients since 2006. A health and wellness advocate, she blogs about healthy lifestyle and food at hartkeisonline.com. Over 450,000 visitors from 200 countries have discovered her blog which features real food recipes, small farm stories, food news, opinion editorials and guest blogs by some of the leading voices for sustainable farming and alternative health. Visit her website. Follow HartkePR in Facebook.

D. Yvonne Rivers The CEO of The Phoebe Group and creator of the Phoebe Pitch Tank. An intense and knowledge filled group that echoes The Shark Tank from ABC. Learn how to pitch your business to get the response that you desire.

DeShawn Robinson-Chew We all have a DESTINY. We receive it in our DREAMS. Have you seen it? Are you ignoring it? Not sure? Join me as I encourage you to reflect on WHY you should Dream IT, Plan IT, Do IT, Own IT! Lisa Smith, MHt, NLP, CC, EFT Learn what is limiting your success, is it your beliefs or fears? Setting achievable goals will give you the boost of confidence you desire.

Practice techniques to shift your mindset to what is important for you and your future.

Leslie Zucker Most independent entrepreneurs, freelance professionals and small business owners have difficulty converting prospects into paying clients. Let me teach you how in just five steps. We all need to know how to ride that professional bicycle.

A Retreat for Business Owners

Learn, Plan, Grow

A weekend filled with experts to empower and equip you to move your business forward. Learn with in-depth experiential training and action items for immediate use in your business.

April 21-23, 2016 Chesapeake, Virginia DreamBigRetreat.com or call Nancy at (269) 319-6041

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Master What?

That’s the response I get most of the time when I tell people that I lead online Mastermind programs.

They get this glazed look in their eyes and say, “oh, that’s nice.” I then ask them, “have you ever been part of a Mastermind group?” They shake their heads, admitting that they don’t know what that means. » Nancy Becher

In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill ,the creator of the term mastermind, describes the power of the mastermind as, “the coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.” He continues, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.”

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Any clearer? Probably not. What this all means is that when several people get together and focus on one issue the ideas that come out of that discussion have more meaning, and resonate more than if just one person, by him or herself, was trying to figure it out alone.

alone and that I do have someone I can talk to about my ideas and my goals—my dreams for success. I think that talking with people who have different experiences, who may have “been there, done that” before me is really helpful. Why should I do something that others have already tried (perhaps unsuccessfully)? Why not try something that someone else thinks has worked well in this environment? It’s very empowering to know that others have walked where I am thinking of going.

And if you’re worried about what you say becoming public knowledge, these groups are generally small and intimate. What is said in one of these groups stays within the hearing of ONLY the people in the group. That’s why these meetings last several months (and/or years)…the people that take part become close friends and confidantes to each other.

Sometimes friends for the rest of their lives. But it doesn’t happen overnight.

It takes time to build relationships and to get to know the other people so that you do feel comfortable sharing. Some things can be worked on right away—others, not so much.

AHHHHH! Now the lightbulb shines.

Large companies have boards of directors, charities have advisory boards, and now so too can the small business owner. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say, I wish I knew what to do? My marketing just doesn’t seem to be getting me anywhere? Should I do this, or should I do that? Which way do I turn? At this point I see the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, pointing with his arms crossed, saying “They went thatta way.” Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a group of people that were there to support you, and to share their thoughts on your questions and ideas: a sounding board that will tell you (without prejudice or presupposed values) whether your ideas make sense based on their experiences and knowledge?

Having been part of such groups for years, I know the value. It is so invigorating to know that I’m not all

Okay. You get the idea behind a mastermind now. Great. But how do you get involved in one? What’s the best place to look? There are several different types of mastermind programs out there. There’s the local ones where people get together, face-to-face, either weekly, semiweekly or monthly. This is great as the people you are working with are local, they have their own businesses in the same place where you are running yours. They know the environment, the people, the atmosphere. And, with the in-person conversations you find yourself being held accountable for your decisions. When you say, I’m going to try that, and you come back and haven’t? You will hear about it (in a friendly and supportive way, of course).

No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.

allows everyone to see everyone else—like Google Hangouts for instance). These groups are no less powerful—and in fact often can be seen as perhaps even more successful because everyone is NOT together in the same room, sharing sometimes relatively intimate things. It may not be as uncomfortable as having others starting at you as you talk.

Some masterminds are free and others can command high dollar amounts. I have seen groups that charge as much as $1,500 a month (or more). The old saying “you get what you pay for” comes to mind here. Yet, I do think that someone paying that much money must be REALLY good at creating the right environment for all. To me, I don’t believe in the free groups either as those don’t seem to garner the accountability that is necessary. To get the most from these groups, you have to be present: fully a part of both supporting the others and getting support for yourself. When something is free, I don’t think people take it as seriously generally speaking. So, I suggest, especially if this is a first time trial for you, you find something that has good testimonials, but is not super expensive, and give it a whirl. Keep up with it for at least 3 months to see how you feel and then decide to commit or try a different group.

All in all, what you need to know about masterminding is that it is “Good for the soul”. When you create an environment where others are there to help and support as well as get help and support, you grow. If it’s a business mastermind, your business grows. If it’s for personal reasons, you become a better self as well. I highly recommend you find one and give it a whirl.

Then, there are those that are on-line.

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Special Section:

Michiana Shop & Greet Expo

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Support Local Charities and Embrace the Power of Shopping Locally.

All who live (and do business) in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan are invited to attend the Michiana Shop & Greet Expo on March 31, 4-8:30pm at Century Center, South Bend, Indiana. » Karen Bachert

Now in its fourth year, this event takes to a new stage in the beautiful Discovery Ballroom at Century Center downtown—“a perfect venue to bring all of Michiana together to shop and to support our local area non-profits” says Event Organizer and Non-Profit Supporter, Karen Bachert adding “Shopping and doing business in Michiana is good for our economy-supporting local charities is good for our soul!”

The uniqueness of this event is quickly discovered at the door, as each guest is handed $7 in Michiana Bucks to shop with, an idea that came to the founder of this event when she discovered the impact shopping locally has on our community. “Come prepared to shop and we know you’ll find a great Michiana shopping experiences,” says Jackie Appleman, spokesperson for Downtown South Bend and Michiana “Shop & Greet” Expo Advisor. Shopping locally continues throughout the entire event with more than fifty vendors and Early Bird Specials starting at 4:00. Lots of shopping, lots of fun things happening with Chicago Club Entertainer and DJ, Cero Rowland, providing the music and WSMK broadcasting live during the event.

Our Cocktail Party for Charity and our new “Champagne and Bling” Give Away sponsored by Belle of the Ball Wedding & Event Planner starts at 5:00. So come early and join Angie Anderson to toast your favorite charity with one charity winning $250 and one guest winning a beautiful Swarovski crystal necklace.

Then at 5:30, the “Pitch to Michiana Sharks” Networking begins with Emcee Kerri Spencer and Sponsor Jayne Flannigan, representing Michiana Women in Construction and Michiana Brick. Five Michiana Business Owner Judges and one business winner! Come to watch or come to play! It’s going to be fun!

CONTINUED »

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A fabulous, party-attire Fashion Show and Charity Auction will start at 7:00. Our Emcee Host, Kerri Spencer, Kerri’s Avenue Salon, will be joined

by Celebrity Hosts, Allison Preston and Faran Fronczak, Fox 28 News Anchors, promising everyone a really good time. The fashions for the show will include a variety of men, women and children party styles provided by Goodwill Industries, Little Princess Treasures and Bella’s Boutique—all especially chosen, shopper-friendly Michiana area boutiques.

As the models take to the runway with more than fifty gorgeous outfits, we’ll meet leaders of our 2016 Michiana Charities—Goodwill Industries of Michiana, YWCA, Hello Gorgeous and Dismas House and we’ll learn more about the work they are doing in our community. Also, to help raise more money for our charities, we’ll present LIVE Charity Auction items during the Fashion Show and let the bidding begin.

(Note: More silent auction items will also be offered throughout the exhibit hall during the entire event.)

The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of our 2016 Angel Award which will be presented to Maria Kaczmarek, President of Dismas House, in appreciation for her major contributions to those in need in our community.

Tickets for the Expo are only $12 (including all the happenings of the day) and are available from any of our charities or boutiques or online at www.shopandgreet.com with $7 in Michiana Bucks to spend at the show, going back to each ticket holder at the door. Tickets at the door are $15.

Our sponsors include: Fox 28, Proforma Printhouse, Support Michiana, WSMK Radio, WNIL Radio, Business Success Unlimited, Small Biz Forward Magazine, Braggadoccio Productions, Bella’s Boutique, Little Princess Treasures, Kerri’s Avenue Salon. More infor­mation on Facebook at Facebook.com/shopandgreet or www.shopandgreet.com.

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Charity Auction: Always a Hit! Just when you think the Michiana “Shop & Greet” Expo couldn’t be any more fun, the attention turns to LIVE Auction time as everyone is invited to grab the auction paddles and join in the fun.

It’ll all happen Center Stage with the showcasing of some fabulous items, each specially chosen to help raise money for our charities—Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Dismas House, YWCA and Hello Gorgeous.

In addition, Michiana “Shop & Greet” guests will find a wide variety of auction items sprinkled throughout the ballroom available for bidding throughout the event.

Bidding on all items will conclude at the close of the 7:00pm Fashion Show for Charity.

Here are a few of the items in this year’s show:

• Disney Amusement Park Package • Michiana Golf Outing for Four • Hot Air Balloon Adventure • Custom Designed, Granite Countertop • “Uncork the Cork” Package

Champagne & Bling Give Away Helps Raise Charity Cash.

Shopping and doing business in Michiana is good for our economy.

Supporting local charities is good for our soul.

Karen Bachert

Already planning on attending the fourth annual Michiana Shop & Greet at Century Center on March 31, 2016?

Vendor Shopping, Charity Fashion Show and even a LIVE Auction are all happening at the event. In addition, for the first time this year, they are adding the “Champagne & Bling” Charity Celebration sponsored

by Belle Behind the Ball Wedding & Event Planner. “It’s going to be fun and a great way to support our charities” says Karen Bachert, Michiana Shop & Greet host.

meet our goal of $250 in Charity Cash and some lucky supporter will receive the beautiful necklace as our thank you gift.

“Champagne & Bling” will kick off at 5:00 when the first 25 charity supporters begin to step forward with a $10 donation towards our “Charity Cash” and cast their vote for their favorite—Hello Gorgeous, Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Dismas House or YWCA. As a thank you for their donation, each person will receive a glass of champagne and someone will win a beautiful Swarovski crystal necklace. Then, once the last glass of champagne is given and last vote is cast, Angie Anderson, Belle Behind the Ball Wedding and Event Planner, will tally up those votes and present the $250 in Charity Cash to the charity with the highest number of votes. So come early and bring a $10 bill! Your $10 donation will help us

Join in the fun of the “everyone shops experience” and be sure to pick up your $7 in Michiana Bucks at the door.

Tickets for the Michiana Shop & Greet Expo (and all the happenings of the evening) are available through our charities, at Bella’s Boutique and Little Princess Treasures or online for just $12 www.shopandgreet.com. Ticket also available at the door for $15.

Early Bird Shopping and Silent Auction starts at 4:00; LIVE radio broadcast with WSMK Radio from 4-6:00pm; “Pitch to Michiana Sharks” networking at 5:30 and Cocktail Party for Charity with a fashion show and LIVE auction will begin at 6:30.

Music provided by Cero Rowland, Braggadoccio Productions.

Michiana Shop & Greet sponsors: Fox 28, Business Success Unlimited, Braggadoccio Productions, PROforma Printhouse, Support Michiana, WSMK Radio, Kerri’s Avenue Salon, Bella’s Boutique and Little Princess Treasures.

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Pitch to Michiana Sharks Networking.

Calling all networking enthusiasts and entrepreneurs with passion for your business! Here’s your chance to tell your story, get your business noticed and maybe even win $250 in prizes. All you need is a business card and your own 60-second introduction. It’s all happening at Century Center, downtown South Bend at our fourth annual Michiana Shop & Greet Expo on March 31, 2016. Expo begins at 4:00 with local shopping and a chance to support local charities too. Then at 5:30, our Emcee, Kerri Spencer and “Pitch to the Michiana Sharks” sponsor, Jayne Flannigan, Owner of Michiana Brick and President of Michiana Women in Construction, will get things started speed-networking style.

Now you’ve heard about those other shark judges, right? Well how about our own Michiana Shark Judges?

Yes, five local business leaders have already stepped forward to “pay it forward”. Our Pitch Judges will choose the prize-winning pitch of the night and present $250 in Gift Certificates to Michiana-area businesses to our winner. Our judges include: Jerry Sarno, Strategic Partner, Schooley Mitchell; Cindy Cohen, RN and owner of C2YourHealth; Dana Trowbridge, Vice President, First State Bank; Alicia Webber, Risk Management Advisor, Healy Group.

grab a glass of champagne to help us toast the charity winner of our “Champagne and Bling” Give Away and join in the fun of our Cocktail Party for Charity with a Fashion Show and LIVE charity auction supporting Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Dismas House, Hello Gorgeous and YWCA that starts at 7:00.

Tickets available through any of our charities or online at www.shopandgreet.com.

It’s going to be a great evening in Michiana! Come early and shop with our more than 50 local vendors, join in and network with other local businesses at 5:30. Stay around and

Attention Business Owners!

Need a little help getting ready to compete in the “Pitch to Michiana Sharks” Competition? We’ve got you covered. Nancy Becher, owner of Business Success Unlimited and 4th year sponsor of the Michiana Shop & Greet, will be on hand with two mini workshop to help you get ready to do your “Pitch”! Nancy says, “It’s your elevator speech and I have a simple three step process that really helps you get your message across. It’s amazing to see my clients use this process and I am pleased to share it with everyone.”

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Our Pitch Judges will choose the prizewinning pitch of the night and present $250 in Gift Certificates to area businesses to our winner.

Michiana Shop & Greet Expo Century Center South Bend, Indiana March 31, 2016

Schedule of Events 4:00 - Early Bird Surprises / Special Offers / Silent Auction 5:30 - “Pitch to the Michiana Sharks” Networking 6:30 - Cocktail Party for Charity Begins with “Champagne & Bling” GIVE AWAY 7:00 - Fashion Show & LIVE Charity Auction

Who’s going to be there?

Al Howard Photography

Fox 28 TV (sponsor)

Sam’s Club

Aunt Bee’s Quilts & More

Goodwill Industries of Michiana

Scentsy

Bella’s Boutique (sponsor)

Hello Gorgeous of H.O.P.E., Inc.

Sell It Again Jo

Belle Behind The Ball Wedding & Event Planner (sponsor)

Indiana Adoption Program

Silpada

Infinity Travel Time

Simplee Stated Gifts

Bendix Coffee

It Works (Kerri’s Avenue Salon)

Simply Said

Boulanger’s Barberie

Jamberry Nails

Support Michiana (sponsor)

Braggadoccio’s Productions (sponsor)

Juice Plus

Business Success Unlimited (sponsor)

Kerri’s Avenue Salon (sponsor)

The Center for Protection, Security & Personal Safety

Le-Vel

The Healy Group

Little Princess Treasures (sponsor)

Thirty One

C2Your Health

Make Up Mafia/Younique

Women Business Owners of Michiana

Mary Kay

WNIL Radio, the Voice WSMK Radio 99.1 (sponsor)

Discovery Toys

Michiana Brick/Michiana Women in Construction (sponsor)

Dismas House of South Bend

Nerium

DJ - Dr. Spiniker, WSMK Radio

Paid2Save

Downtown South Bend

Paycation

First State Bank

Perkins Restaurant/Healthy Chocolate

Castle Windows Costco Wholesale Cheri Hallwood, Children’s Author Creative Corner

Forever Young Publishers

YWCA Your Business Needs Fans (host)

Premier Woman Networking Proforma Marketing (sponsor)

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Working Smarter in a Crowded Market.

In 2015 I published my second book, The Art of Motivational Listening: Creative Ideas for Effective Leaders. Since I am both an author and a leadership coach, I sell to two different markets, with some crossover. I’ve been told many times that I need to find a niche, which goes for both markets. » Adam Fleming

However, in the process of proposing this book to a publisher and writing it, a few factors came to light as I considered my personality and what I love about both writing and coaching.

I stopped compartmentalizing my marketing last year, which meant concerning myself less with a specific niche (or trying to hit multiple niches separately) and focusing more on a personal brand. After all, it’s a personal brand that sells coaching, not the niche. As far as selling books goes, the niche (or genre) does matter a lot more, but I’m writing in a variety of genres (my previous book is a literary novel).

More of my income comes from coaching than from writing at this point, so we’ll focus here on the coaching aspect of the question.

If you tell people you have a certain niche, for example, health and wellness, they’ll say, “So you’re a Fitness Coach, big deal, there’s dozens of them.” Don’t despair! If they like

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your brand, I’m just saying that once your reputation or personal brand reaches beyond your niche audience, you’ll always be busy, so long as you’re willing to work with people who fall outside your niche but who are eager for your product. Beware. It will mean putting yourself out there; perhaps even sharing ideas you have that some might find disagreeable. Abercrombie and Fitch has come under a lot of fire lately for ideas many shoppers find disagreeable, but it’s hard to argue they’re not a distinctive brand. You know what they stand for. People will respect or hate you, but their apathy is what kills your sales when all you focus on is your niche.

I’m not a particularly linear thinker; I’m an artist and novelist. That’s part of what makes me a great coach, but it sure makes life hard when you presume that a book about coaching has to include models and acronyms which will help people think in mnemonics. Those things are great, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without instruction in the basic (linear) structure of a coaching conversation. But I realized what I needed to do was write a different book about coaching, a

I have come to believe that if you want to stand out, just picking a niche isn’t good enough.

People will respect or hate you, but their apathy is what kills your sales when all you focus on is your niche.

non-linear one. Some might find it frustrating. Others will find it brilliant. Everyone will find a piece of me in it. This paradigm shift from concern for my niche towards willingness to be myself infuses this book. I didn’t write another “how-to” book. Instead, I wrote a collection of essays on coaching I would want to read. That’s the key to good writing, by the way.

Writing something you, yourself, would want to read. I wandered down life’s hedgerows through humor, creativity, and philosophy; a little leadership and cross-cultural stuff, I proposed some things you may disagree with, or not, and there you have it: A non-compartmentalized, non-linear, book of creative thoughts from a seven-year coaching veteran.

I have come to believe that if you want to stand out, just picking a niche isn’t good enough. I can work in a variety of niches, I’m flexible that way, so personal branding is critical on top of that. I consolidated all my blogs into one last April and I don’t regret it one bit. Everything about me can be found in one place,

and that’s an important aspect of authentic branding.

This year, consider what your personal brand looks like. If you’re authentic and people don’t like it, you probably don’t want their business anyway. It wouldn’t be a good seller-customer relationship for the long term!

Adam G. Fleming believes in friendship. He’s CEO of Evergreen Leaders, novelist, third-culture kid, a husband and father. Adam blogs about everything at www.adamgfleming.com. His book, “The Art of Motivational Listening,” is available at www.adamgfleming.com/ bookstore (buy from the bookstore to get an autographed copy) and on Amazon. He’s a graduate of Lifeforming Leadership Coaching (2009), a coach trainer for Coaching Mission International and Christian Business Men’s Connection, and a member of Christian Coaches Network International, with CPCC credential pending.

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Daydreaming to Success.

Remember the kid who always got caught daydreaming in class? I sure do.

They got heaps of trouble from scornful teachers who were concerned they weren’t absorbing enough information. After all, they wouldn’t amount to anything by spending their days with their head in the clouds. » Jerry Sarno

But what if I told you a few minutes spent lost in thought can actually help you absorb information?

Maybe boost your creativity or help you get more sleep at night? That it could even make your spouse like you a little bit more?

The Science Behind It

Lying in bed at night with a racing mind sometimes makes us wish we could turn our brain off. Neuro­ scientists have discovered it’s not possible and brain scans show we’re always on thanks to the default mode network (DMN), an area of the brain that springs to life when our mind is otherwise inactive. The DMN has been linked to the essential mental processes that develop our understanding, ethics and identity.

Considering this, it makes sense that some of our best ideas come to us while we’re performing mundane tasks. You may have chalked that “Eureka!” moment you had while taking a shower to coincidence when in reality, your epiphany likely came about as a result of the DMN activity during your downtime.

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But what if I told you a few minutes spent lost in thought can actually help you absorb information?

Memory Consolidation

Short-term memory is just that. Lasting just 20 to 30 seconds, the information needs to be cemented to stay with us. Enter downtime: it gives the brain a chance to memorize what it has learned, capture it in our mind and ditch old, irrelevant information at the same time.

The more neurons communicate with each other, the stronger the connected formed.

Increasing your ability to retain information may be as simple as scheduling regular breaks into your working day to meditate or allow your thoughts to float aimlessly. We can only absorb so much information, making it essential to free up space for the really important stuff.

Time vs. Energy

Journalist-turned-visionary business coach Tony Schwartz has a unique take on how to boost employee productivity.

Instead of simply working more hours in an effort to complete more tasks, he preaches a greater focus on

sustainable work practices, specifically the need to switch between spending and renewing energy.

Schwartz uses the example of a stressed out, overworked Ernst & Young partner who made some methodical changes to his routine: he started leaving his desk for lunch and twice-daily walks, quit drinking, went to bed earlier and added an early morning exercise routine. Though some of these activities took time out of his day, he got more done at the office because of his renewed outlook. As his anxiety lifted, his home life also improved and he was able to better engage with his family.

Don’t Resist. Recharge

Spending a week away on a sunny beach is a great break, but the effects aren’t always long lasting. For your brain to truly benefit from downtime, it needs to become a regular practice. So next time you feel your mind beginning to wander, don’t fight it. Allow yourself to spend a few minutes in the clouds and see where you end up.

Sweet daydreams, friends.

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Take a Walk on the Yellow Brick Road.

Ahhhh, the feel of the wind in our face, the sand under our feet, the taste of exquisite foreign foods, the thrill of foreign (or domestic) travel. We all have that desire to travel and the freedom and independence it gives us, but… » Ed Becher PPS

Oh yeah, there was that one time when we lost or had stolen our camera, money, car, luggage, got sick and ended up in a foreign hospital.

Taking that “Walk down the Yellow Brick Road” does not sound so much fun now that we start thinking about all the things that can go wrong. Having traveled to over 10 countries and a fair majority of the United States, I think I have had all of it happen to me, a co-worker or a family member at one time or another. While travel can be fun and as business owners sometimes essential for business growth, we need to keep our safety and security as a priority as we take that walk.

Times have changed considerably from when I first started to travel: we proudly wore jackets with American flags, briefcases with military emblems and stickers adorning them, and we acted like the ugly American. We would travel to France and the first restaurant we visit is a McDonalds, be loud and obnoxious and expect everyone to be speaking English. Today, these actions can mark us to become the victim of theft, terrorism or even worse, even here in the United States.

There have been times when I have traveled, checked the hotel I was to stay at online and everything looked good, till I pulled into the parking lot, and the big pink Cadillac was in the parking lot and a wide variety of scantily clad women were walking around. The room looked like it had not been cleaned in a month, the furniture looked like it came from a garage sale and the sheets on the bed, did

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not fit the bed. (True story by the way, hotel brand and location will remain anonymous.) How fast can you find another hotel in that city that may be in a better location is the priority now.

The freedom to travel can have its faults and as business owners we need to remember that we need to plan for the unavoidable. Someone should know where you are staying, know the schedule you will have when on travel and have a way to contact you. Having a safety and security plan is essential in today’s ever-changing world. I have certain things that I always travel with: one or two small flashlights, if traveling foreign, a copy of my passport, emergency contact information for local contacts or the American Embassy along with both local and US currency. I keep one flashlight on the nightstand by my bed, the second one goes with my clothing. I keep a set of clothes together in case I need to leave the hotel in an emergency. You never know when the fire alarm will go off at 2am and you are on the 9th floor of the hotel and need to walk down to the ground floor. Remember,

when a fire alarm is activated in a high rise hotel or building, the elevators go automatically to the ground floor.

When I go out into any city that I have not visited before, I check the Internet for information about crime statistics for that location. I will ask the front desk about any area within the city I should avoid and I will ask the first police officer I see the same question.

I will inquire about any big events going on in town, major sporting events, political gatherings or maybe even the planned protest of the local government. I want to know as much about that town as I can gather—I will ask about a map, GPS does not always work well in large built up cities as one would hope for.

One other thing that I do is maintain my situational awareness, I am constantly scanning, looking for dangers, whether these are pot holes or someone watching me a little bit too closely. I want to know what is happening around me, observing the comings and goings of people are they avoiding certain people or locations or even me. I ask to take a table in a restaurant where I can see the entrances, with my back never facing that entrance. Meetings with a new client happen in a well-lit and popular place, coffee shop, restaurant or even the hotel lobby.

Remember, your freedom and independence, security and safety is solely your responsibility.

Resources: Open Forum

It’s part of the American Express program and has both online tips and techniques well worth reading and implementing, but it also produces a television program called Your Business—something I never miss!

This article by Open Forum is great for giving you ideas on how to run inexpensive marketing campaigns. www.americanexpress.com/ us/small-business/openforum/ articles/25-free-or-cheap-ways-tomarket-your-business/

Evernote

It is an information organizational tool that allows you to stay organized, keep your notes and pictures in one place yet accessible via all your technology, and most of all, it’s free for the basic level. Check it out at www.evernote.com

Quora

This program allows its users to ask questions from “the world”, get answers and gain information, informal polling, and voicing your own opinions publically. I personally use it to write my blogs where I get shares, likes, comments and followers. It’s great for many reasons.

Check it out.

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March 16 Women’s Empowerment Entrepreneur 5:30pm to 6:45pm ($5) 2226 Miami Street South Bend, Indiana March 30 How to Get More Clients…& Keep Them!

Naked Health 11:30am to 2:00pm Vienna, Virginia

March 2016 March 3 Expo Seminars & Show - 2pm to 8pm Happy Hour - 5pm to 8pm Century Center Convention Center 120 S Saint Joseph Street, South Bend, Indiana 46601 March 9 & 23 Success Masterminds Online 8am and 6:30pm Respectively March 11 Grand Rapids Business Networking Event TipClub, Inc. 7:30am to 9:00am Byron Center, Michigan

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March 31 Michiana “Shop & Greet” Expo 4pm to 8:30pm Century Center Convention Center 120 S Saint Joseph Street, South Bend, Indiana 46601 March 30 How to Get More Clients…& Keep Them!

Naked Health 11:30am to 2:00pm Vienna, Virginia

YOUR SAFETY. OUR CALLING. Located in historic Sturgis, Michigan, the Center for Protection, Security

and Personal Safety can help you in many ways and not just by providing your staff with the training they need. We are available to provide short-

or long-term protective services, security audits, and surveillance detection services. Additionally, we offer: • Personal Safety Seminar • Travel Safety

• Personal Protection Specialist 7 day program • Low Profile Executive Protection

• One-on-One Executive Protection

Contact ed@thebodyguardacademy.com or (269) 421-1735 www.TheBodyGuardAcademy.com

By Business Success Unlimited

A Retreat for Business Owners

Learn, Plan, Grow

A weekend filled with experts to empower and equip you to move your business forward. Learn with in-depth experiential training and action items for immediate use in your business.

Visit DreamBigRetreat.com or call Nancy at (269) 319-6041.

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