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the happy entrepreneur NO. 04/FALL 2014
TIPS
for urs e n e r p entre
rochelle carter
build your business write a book
DEanna maio
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who needs struggle Reasons You Should when you’ve got Outsource Your Fairy Dust?
by anne perry
Entire Business
CONTENTS
the happy entrepreneur Tiffany
Shari
Angela
Lauren
Manley
Editor in Chief Sarah Dew
Miller
Assistant to the Editor Tiffany Manley Art Director Shari Miller Phone: 734-272-1371 E-mail. inquiries@happyentrepreneur.com Web. www.happyentrepreneurmagazinecom Sarah’s makeup: Rachel Lisa Photos of Sarah: Lauren Difulvio Stylist: Angela Harrison Style
Difulvio
Harrison
ALSO: 6.
free gift index
Rachel
Lisa
16.
24.
32.
ROCHELLE
Jennifer
Ashley
Build Your Business Write a Book
The Accidental Entrepreneur
Look Within
Carter 2
Gilhool
Ryan
belinda Rosenblum 3 Keys to a Rich Life
62.
38.
44.
52.
Deanna
Anne
Susie
5 Reasons You Should Outsource Your Entire Business
Who Needs Struggle When You’ve Got Fairy Dust?
Simplify Your Products and Programs to Double Your Income
Maio
Perry
Romans the happy entrepreneur
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EDITOR’S NOTE
A Letter from the Editor Fall is my favorite season, hands down. Why? My birthday, school starting, the leaves changing, pumpkins, apples, I love every second of it. Growing up in the Midwest, it’s hard not to love it. It’s like someone wraps you up in a warm blanket and hands you some hot apple cider just in time for the snow to start. Perfection. It’s also a great time to reflect on everything that has happened this year. Looking back I can hardly believe the changes. The Happy Entrepreneur has a new website, new magazine {and this is the 4th edition}, new house, and many new people in my life. I am nothing but astounded, grateful, and slightly exhausted. And I know there is still more to come. In 2015 we will be continuing to produce this magazine with some upgrades and new features which I am super excited about. I will be creat-
ing a new product from what you have told me you need and want. Keep an eye out because I will be soliciting your advice so we can make it amazing and exactly what you want. So take a few minutes today and think about everything that has happened this year. Are you where you thought you would be? If not, we still have a few months left. Start making the choices now and you will be amazed how quickly life can change. This is an opportunity for kind reflection, it’s not intended to make you feel badly about what you “haven’t or should have” done. Celebrate the small and the big wins and keep going. So happy to have you joining me on this journey.
xo, Sarah
Sarah Dew Business Strategist & Productivity Expert www.happyentrepreneurmagazine.com
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FROM ROCHELLE CARTER A Build Your Business, Write a Book worksheet, interview download, plus Step 2 in The 7-Step Guide to Authorpreneurship “Create Your Business Plan”
CLICK HERE FOR
FROM JENNIFER GILHOOL
E E R F ! T F i G
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FROM DEANNA MAIO
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FROM ANNE PERRY
Invent Your Dream Business The Quick Start Guide to Your SelfMade Career Listen. It IS possible to make amazing money doing exactly (and only) what you love, and guess what… People who say it won’t work (or that you’re just a dreamer) are wrong. It just means they can’t see it. Too bad. They say NO? You say “Watch me.” That’s right. YOU get to invent your career. On your terms. Exactly the way you want. Fitting into a box that someone else made for you sucks. Here’s how to get out…
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Stephanie
Build Your Business
BY ROCHELLE CARTER
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As you work to stand out from the crowd, your reputation for expertise counts. A wellcrafted, informative book, authored by you, can give you the competitive edge.
For most small business owners, book authoring isn’t just about making money. It’s about sharing knowledge, important lessons, and letting your audience know how they can engage with you and your company. Of course, writing is hard work. But if you’ve been in business a while, you’re used to hard work—and you’ve learned a lot of lessons that are worth sharing. Here’s a quick guide to writing and publishing your business eBook.
Think critically
Begin by brainstorming a list of topics you could write about. Think about what you know, what you’d like to know, what your customers need to know, and what you think the future holds for your field. Narrow the list by sorting through these questions: 1. What are the questions my customers regularly ask? 2. What ideas do I want associated with my business? 3. What ideas position me as a trendsetter in my field? 4. What topics do I teach, speak or consult about already? 5. What topics do my trusted colleagues find most interesting? 6. What research will benefit others in my profession?
Make a promise
Now, come up with a simple statement of what your readers will gain from your book. For example, a professional networking coach might promise: “My readers will know how to develop a network of colleagues who can help further their career goals.” This is called the book’s mission statement (or, what good the book will do, for whom). The mission statement keeps struggling authors on track. You can check your ideas and words against the book’s mission and ruthlessly cut what doesn’t fit. The statement can also help you come up with a book title. Fill in the blank for your next project: (Book Title)________________ will help/teach/educate ______________on how to _________________ (Subtitle)
Make an outline
With the promise in place, it’s time to develop an outline. It should include the steps your readers must follow to reach your promise. Major steps are chapters. Supporting steps are subheads and “sub-subheads.” Many of us dreaded outlines in school, but they do have benefits, such as:
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• Forcing you to admit what you know and what you don’t know. • Exposing the strengths and weaknesses in your logic. • Helping you to plan and budget your time. • Enabling you to see your ideas as readers will see them. • Moreover, an outline is essential if you intend to pitch your idea to a publisher or book agent. When it comes to the work of writing, your outline is a huge help. Select small sections to work on. Start with what you know best and go from there. Set doable goals: one hour a day; 500 words. If you’re self-publishing, your book can be as short as 20,000 words. Simple math can help you figure out how many hours you need to write that first draft.
Prepare and publish
Once you’ve drafted a manuscript, you’ll need substantive editing and copyediting, followed by design, typesetting, proofreading, printing and distribution: • Substantive editors clarify your logic, tone and voice; they may also rewrite at your request. • Copyeditors smooth grammar and style, and help check factual details. • Designers plan the interior look and may design the cover; they may also typeset the book. • Proofreaders clean up minor errors. • Printing is the physical manufacturing of the book. • Distribution is the process of getting it into the hands of customers. • Seek a commercial publisher when your book has larger market potential, as publishers are highly skilled at all of these steps. But if your goal is to create just enough copies to give to clients or conference attendees, self-publishing services such as EverFaith Press, CreateSpace and BookBaby can guide you through the process of getting your manuscript ready to print.
The bottom line
In my career as a publisher and writer, I’ve helped many authors and business owners develop nonfiction texts that further their careers. The story is always the same: writing takes work, but the end result is worth it. Knowing that your expertise has benefited others is perhaps the best payoff of all. Knowing that your expertise has benefited others is perhaps the best payoff of all.
KNOWING THAT YOUR EXPERTISE HAS BENEFITED OTHERS IS PERHAPS THE BEST PAYOFF OF ALL.
How I Came to Run a Successful Business I never felt that corporate America was the right place for me, but when Intel wants you to join them, you jump! Just two years into my new job, in a new state, the recession hit. I knew many people who lost their jobs. They were struggling, trying to start something new with no foundation. I knew my job was safe, but I didn’t want to risk my future doing the expected. One night while talking about books with my (now) husband, I decided to “launch while working.” I had no children and limited expenses, making it the perfect time to hit the ground running and begin building my legacy. Ellechor Media was where my Passion for books met my Purpose in life, which was to help others. By working with authors in what I call “Creative Publishing”, allowing author input and encouraging their independence, we have been able to gain community support to help us become successful. This led to us being named Intuit’s First Most
Love Business and contributed to us winning a $5,000 Love a Local Business Grant. I also attribute our success to the team I work with. I am surrounded by those who love my authors and what we do as much as I do, and have been willing to stick with us through the ups and downs so we can come out on top, together. Together we have produced highly rated, award winning books. I also recently won the 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year (Creative Arts & Media) Stiletto Woman in Business Award, with Ellechor Publishing House named a 2014 Business on the Rise Finalist. Success for me is about more than winning awards, though they help boost your profile! For me, success is just being able to say that we are here. Our books serve a purpose, our authors have passion, and we are contributing positive energy to the world.
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BIOGRAPHY:
Rochelle Carter is the Publisher at Ellechor Media LLC, an award-winning publishing company with three imprints and an online bookstore. As publisher and Authorpreneur Business Consultant, she provides publishing consulting services for various authors, and managing the acquisition and production process for all of her imprints. Through her company, she publishes books with a purpose. Her imprints have published over 40 books in less than three years with 15 bestsellers, 5 award finalists, 3 book awards, and 98% of which enjoy 4-star or higher Amazon ratings. Carter is also the author of International bestsellers “The 7-Step Guide to Authorpreneurship” and “Write Success: Inspirational Quotes for the Authorpreneur”, two books she put together to help authors based on her experiences with publishing and her own authors. Her third book, “Becoming an Author: Your Quick Start Guide to a Successful Book Launch”, will launch this Fall. Her passion lies in educating authors and helping them to avoid as many publishing regrets as possible. Carter has received national recognition for her leadership and professional achievements, including winning the 2014 Stiletto Woman In Business Award (SWIBA) for Entrepreneur of the Year (Creative Arts and Media) and being named a Woman of Outstanding Leadership by The International Women’s Leadership Association.
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A NOTE TO FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS: Forget the “get rich quick” schemes and the “do what you know” naysayers. Your sweet spot is where Passion + Purpose + Planning = Profit. Your purpose is the why you do what you do, your passion is the subject that gets you up in the morning. When you make a plan to connect these two in a way that values your worth as a person, you will start to become profitable and prosperous!
Passion + Purpose + P lanning = Profit
MY FAVORITE BOOK: Whose Shoes Are You Wearing? 12 Steps to Uncovering the Woman You Really Want to Be by Julian B. Kiganda and Christine K. St. Vil I had a lot of business and entrepreneurial experience prior to this book was released, but it was the first that I came across that connected my cultural experience to my journey to self-actualization. I think it’s a must read for any young, female entrepreneur seeking to find the right fit.
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A Build Your Business, Write a Book worksheet, interview download, plus Step 2 in The 7-Step Guide to Authorpreneurship “Create Your Business Plan”
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There is something very liberating about leaving the security of your dead-end job to pursue your passion.
the Accidental entrepreneur by Jennifer Gilhool
...I have no idea how this will turn out but I will never regret that I tried...
There is something very liberating about leaving the security of your deadend job to pursue your passion. There is also something very scary about it. When you have three children who expect to keep their bedrooms, find food on their table and still go to Target once a month just because, there is also something very irresponsible about it. Maybe even selfish if not self-centered. Stepping out is how I
would describe what I have done. Stepped out of my comfort zone. Stepped out on a limb. Stepped out on my family. I left my job as an up and coming executive with a Fortune 10 Company nearly a year ago now. I spent 15 years with that Company working my way up the corporate ladder and eventually moving my family to Shanghai, China for my career and the purported opportunity of a
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lifetime. It turned out to be the lesson of a lifetime. While our family traveled across Asia and Europe during our few years abroad, I struggled to make sense of my life and to keep my most cherished relationships alive. Something just wasn’t right. A series of (un)fortunate events brought me back to the States and face-to-face with the question I had been avoiding answering for years: Is this all there is? I decided that ‘this was all there is’ only if I chose to it be ‘all’. There had to be something more. I left my comfortable job and jumped. Nearly a year later, I’ve published a book, taken my speaking tour around the world and formed a series of partnerships to build a mobile app to enable consumers to make purchasing decisions based upon their social values, launched a Gender Economics Lab and created a social impact zone in Detroit, Michigan that supports social entrepreneurship and creates an economic-eco-system in the City of Detroit leveraging the strengths of the community. There’s been no big paycheck to date. And, my schedule is worse not better than when I was running a functional operation across Asia Pacific & Africa for a Fortune 10 Company but I’ve never been happier. I’m even happy when I walk past a great pair of stilettos because the price tag is equal to a week’s worth of groceries. Wonderful shoes are a luxury that I just can’t afford at this point in my journey. I never intended to be an entrepreneur. It happened by accident. And, continued to build organically. Not precisely the way most books would you tell you to get started. It started after a book signing in Seattle. A conversation with some 20-somethings in the thriving technology industry in Seattle sparked an idea for a mobile application that would deliver information about a vendor’s performance in the areas of gender equity, LGBT equity and corporate social responsibility at the point of purchase. Would consumers choose to be (more) socially conscious if they received information about social issues they care about in real time along with better, nearby alternatives? I can’t answer that question today but I hope to be able to answer it soon. It was that single, accidental conversation that convinced me that it was time to move on from my corporate existence. Today, I spend much of my time trying to figure out what a ‘pitch deck’ should look like, understand the difference between angel investors and venture capitalists, write business plans for businesses that aren’t yet fully defined, and build alliances between government, business and civil society to create the opportunity for positive social impact. I worry about the money going out the door when there is virtually no money is coming in the door. I get excited each time our initiatives draw the attention of policy makers, investors and my daughter’s high school friends. I also lose sleep waiting for that first investor to come on board. There is no frame of reference. People tell me that this
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is the process – every entrepreneur experiences a rollercoaster of emotions. Rumor has it that it is not until you are about to give up in abject despair that you will realize that the sun is about to rise again. It is that moment that your venture gains a financial champion, a game-changing publicity opportunity or some other unforeseen stroke of ‘luck’ that propels you forward. People love success stories. Is this a success? It depends on your definition of success, I suppose. Like most things, it’s a matter of perspective. I am an accidental entrepreneur. I have no idea what I am doing. I have never had more fun or been more scared. I have no idea how this will turn out but I will never regret having tried. I will never consider this a failure. Staying in a job that gave me little more than a paycheck and a constant headache would have been failure. From my perspective, this experience is nothing but success.
Jennifer Gilhool
Jennifer Gilhool is a daughter, sister, wife & mother. She is also an attorney, an author, a former Fortune 10 executive, an entrepreneur, a diversity consultant and an advocate for girls and women. In 2013, Jennifer published her first book, Sheryl Sandberg, China & Me, and formed her first company, Pink Streak Ink. Pink Streak Ink coordinates Jennifer’s international speaking engagements, publishes her work and is the home of her blog. Pink Streak Ink is also the incubator for new ideas and businesses. In 2014, Jennifer began working on three projects related to her passion to advance gender equity across the globe. Currently, Jennifer and her technology team are developing a mobile app that enables consumers who wish to be align their social values with their consumption habits by providing information on social issues they care about, like gender equity, to them at the point of purchase. App users can choose to shop at their intended vendor or review nearby alternatives who perform (score) better in, for example, gender equity or whichever social cause the app user chooses. Jennifer is also working with partners to launch the Gender Economics Lab. The Gender Economics Lab is dedicated to evolving the language of business to be more inclusive, starting with gender. As Muhtar Kent, CEO of Coca-Cola, has said women will drive the 21st Century economy. Businesses that learn to embrace and leverage gender diversity will win the innovation race and improve overall corporate performance. Through state of the art interactive learning, assessment and webcast tools, the Gender Economics Lab makes it possible for every business – large and small – to reap the rewards of diversity. In addition to these efforts, Jennifer is putting the theory of “golden triangle” into practice. Through the Social Impact Zone Detroit, Jennifer and her partners are connecting government, civil society and business to positively impact the City of Detroit. Through initiatives, like the
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Urban Food Initiative which leverages the City’s tremendous urban gardening movement, and the creation of a social entrepreneur incubator and co-working space (the “Launch Exchange”), the Zone strives to help accelerate the resurgence of Detroit – the area where Jennifer grew up. Jennifer’s last corporate assignment with Ford Motor Company was as the company’s first Asia Pacific & Africa Director of Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, which made her responsible for vehicle regulatory matters including regulatory development, vehicle certification and vehicle performance concerns across the Asia Pacific & Africa region. While on assignment, Jennifer and her family lived in Shanghai, China. Prior to joining Ford, Jennifer practiced law in Chicago and Detroit. Among her legal accomplishments, Jennifer is most proud of the pro bono work she did as a Public Interest Lawyers Initiative Fellow representing individuals at risk of domestic abuse and seeking protective orders and the work done with colleagues at Jenner & Block on a variety of social justice issues, including death penalty appeal work.
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my favorite books I tend to be a rule breaker so I can’t pick just one book. I’m picking two because, in truth, there are two books that helped me find my inner-strength and continue to encourage me. First, The Art of Possibility. Among the twelve lessons within this little gem, it is the first that has defined my steps since leaving “Corporate America” – it’s all invented. In truth, it is all invented. Every standard by which we measure ourselves and others is invented. You can reclaim your power by simply reminding yourself that it is all invented. You choose. No one chooses for you unless you let them. Eleanor Roosevelt knew that when she said “No one can make you feel inferior unless you let them.” Of course, there are circumstances that can make us feel as though are choices are limited or wholly unavailable but it is our mental attitude that defines us. The second book, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, is the true story of Kamila Sidiqi and other women of Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban’s fearful rise to power. With what has been called “novelistic vividness” the story of a fearless young woman who not only reinvented herself as an entrepreneur to save her family but, in the face of ferocious opposition, brought hope to the lives of dozens of women in war-torn Kabul is told. It is a reminder that no matter how desperate things appear, we do have choices. It is all invented. And, your life can be re-invented by you, if you choose to re-invent it. The point is to choose.
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Motivation
Jennifer as a
Speaker
“The Importance of Women would be a great asset to the WIE New York program in September. The panel was the top seller at our 10 year program in Chicago (5 June). Jen assembled a high level panel, and our participants responded with an overwhelming positive response! The panel was so successful that we have invited them all to join us in Detroit for the 5 year anniversary in October.” Deirdre Joy Smith, Founder & President, POWER Opening Doors for Women
“Jen was described as a ‘master moderator.’ Her ability to engage the panel without overshadowing them was a comment constantly repeated by our attendees.” “The educational content was timely-- panelists engaging!” “Not only did I receive valuable information to share with my colleagues, the candid lessons shared will have a profound impact my personal development.”
POWER Participant Comments:
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Praise for sheryl sandberg, china and me “Jennifer Gilhool doesn’t just talk conceptually about the challenges women face in the corporate world. She lets the reader into her mind, heart and home as she seeks success in a world that too often fails to value women’s contributions. Jennifer finds a new sense of self that is energizing and inspirational!” Janet Hanson, Founder 85 Broads Unlimited, LLC, and former Managing Director Lehman Brothers
“Through her first-hand account of journeying into corporate leadership, Jennifer Gilhool gives readers a unique look into the hearts and minds of many ambitious career women who sacrifice more than they care to admit in hopes of fulfilling career goals that too often remain out of reach. It’s an inspiring story.” Gail Evans, best-selling author of Play Like A Man, Win Like A Woman, CNN Executive Vice President (retired), Former Member of President Johnson’s White House Staff, Office of the Special Counsel “I’m a big Jennifer Gilhool fan – in part because Jennifer’s life and career are proof that real growth happens when we risk and make ourselves uncomfortable. Her professional and personal experiences are woven together with humor, grit, and honesty, all of which make for fascinating reading. Regardless of your level, you’ll be glad you read this helpful, reassuring book of life lessons.” Selena Rezvani, author of PUSHBACK: How Women Ask— And Stand Up— For What They Want and columnist for The Washington Post “Lean In’s Sheryl Sandberg has nothing on this woman! What a delight to read the real heart and soul of a woman warrior in a leadership role. This is a can’t-put-it-down book for a great summer read – an entrée into a woman’s family room, kitchen counter and a fly on the wall in the boardroom all at once. Jennifer is the hero in her own story – but so are her family, colleagues and friends. This is about humor, satire, revenge, ego AND family. This real life story makes you question “leaning in” but also captures the need to bring more women onto a mentoring platform. We got the vote in 1920 but we still get the shaft.” Gail M. Romero, CFRE, CEO, Collective Changes – Mentoring Women Globally to Build Business and Jobs “Where Sheryl Sandberg may have opened the lid of Pandora’s Box with Lean In, Jennifer Gilhool has been living
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inside the Box for years. Sandberg shines a flashlight on the issues and challenges for professional women in today’s workplace, but Gilhool drags them out of the box and into the full light of day. Jennifer combines keen analytic skills and the sensibilities of a working mother and spouse. She bares her soul and raw feelings in her daily fight to create the delicate balance between the often-conflicting demands of work, of family and of being true to herself – in a world where the deck is still heavily stacked against women who just want to be themselves. Gilhool’s words and poignant images will leave you breathless and wanting more . . . more of her unique ability to describe the struggle that too many women still face today – and that too many of us men still allow to endure. Read this book. It will wake you up and move you to action.” Bob Kantor, Executive Coach, Kantor Consulting Group, Inc.
YOUR CHOICE OF: • Sheryl Sandberg, China & Me, Kindle or iPad version • One hour complimentary executive coaching session with Jennifer • 20% discount on speaking/corporate event
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look Wit hin by Ashley Ryan
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I used to think that marketing was about external success.
a positive person, these kinks lurk in the background corrupting our success.
Place the right ad.
So we change external things hoping to fix what’s broken; only making bigger cracks.
Say the right thing. Push the right button.
So if success isn’t there for you, I suggest you look within.
And I’d be rich.
Stop the marketing.
But what I saw showed me something else.
Stop the noise.
Lot’s of successful people using the right formula, but they didn’t succeed.
And be silent.
And it wasn’t because they weren’t doing the right things... It was because many of them had stuff going on in their personal life that limited their capacity. This, no amount of marketing could fix. It’s when we believe we’re bad. We don’t deserve. We’re not enough. We’re unworthy. This is mirrored back to us in our lives. And even if we recite affirmations....or become
A freedom t hat no amount of money can buy. 34
And in that silence, the goodness will show itself. Because it’s always there. We just have to clear out the debris to access it. If you’re emotionally stuck, I’d highly suggest working with someone to support you. For me, this kind of internal work has changed my life. Not only financially, but emotionally. A freedom that no amount of money can buy.
“When we come close to those things that break us down, we touch those things that also break us open. And in that breaking open, we uncover our true nature.� ~ Wayne Muller
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how i came to run a successful business: ashley ryan I always knew I wanted to work from home and live a hip, vagabond lifestyle (beaches, friends, FUN). I set this intention early, and things opened up quickly... I started by creating a successful online business www.ParentLearningClub.com (This helped me delve into online marketing, and the rest was history)... Don’t get me wrong...there were some major hiccups on the way...for example, I started out in corporate consulting, and I worked with people who weren’t happy or conscious
favorite book: I read A LOT, so I can’t say I have a favourite book....BUT my favourite Author is David Deida and I love his book “Blue Truth,” It’s not about business, but the book will change the way you do business. “If you are waiting for anything in order to live and love without holding back, then you suffer. Every moment is the most important moment of your life. No future time is better than now to let down your guard and love.” ― David Deida, Blue Truth
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:( This was not in alignment with who I wanted to be around, so I quickly moved into working with conscious women in business. www.HerSmartMarketing.com is fulfilling my passion to coach female entrepreneurs on how to move from stasis to 6 or 7 figures in less than 12 months. I strongly believe in empowering females to go after what they desire, without compromise, confusion, or overwhelm...reaching the top and getting paid what they’re worth.
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Discover WHAT IT TAKES to make great money with affiliate marketing and earn passive income online! the happy entrepreneur
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5 Reasons Why You Should Outsource Your Entire Business and How to Get Started Today Lots of people who’re new to outsourcing ask me “Isn’t outsourcing expensive and difficult?” They’ve heard horror stories about projects that have dragged out for months. They’ve heard of people getting low-quality work. There are even a few cases of people paying and getting nothing in return. But here’s the thing: All of these horror stories happen to a tiny minority of business owners. And it often happens to those who don’t know the right way to outsource. But for those who do know the truth about outsourcing, you’ll see them singing its praises.
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by DEANNA MAIO Truth is, NOTHING will help you grow your business faster than a handpicked outsourcing team! Here are five reasons why business owners all over the world happily outsource their entire business… and why you should too:
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You get to focus on the “high value” tasks.
There’s nothing worse than spending hours doing a lowvalue task (like creating a graphic or writing articles) when you have other high-value tasks on your to-do list, like recruiting joint venture partners or drafting a mar-
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A professional often can create better results.
I’m far from being an expert on a variety of business tasks, like graphics, programming, design, copywriting and more. Sound familiar? Then start outsourcing, be-
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Example: If your time is worth $50 an hour, and it takes you an hour to write an article, then that article costs you $50 to do yourself. I bet you can find a competent writer to do the article for half the cost – thereby saving you both time and money!
You’ll stop struggling to move forward.
One of the major reasons entrepreneurs struggle to grow their business is because they spend too much time struggling with daily tasks. For example, it may take a beginner an entire day to install a script on a website. But for a
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cause a professional will most certainly do a better job since he’s the expert.
A professional can often do it for cheaper than you.
Time is money, right? So every hour you spend on a task may cost you $50, $100 or more. If you attach a dollar figure to your time and then start calculating how much it “costs” you to do a job yourself, you may be startled to discover that a professional can actually do the job for less cost than you!
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keting plan. Savvy business owners know that the key to business growth is to hand the low-value tasks to someone else so that you can work in high-value tasks more often.
professional, as little as 10 minutes. Point is, stop struggling. Just hire a professional to do it instead!
You’ll enjoy more free time.
You don’t have to be chained to your business 24 hours a day in order for it to grow and be successful. If you outsource, you can spend just a few hours a week working in your business. And that frees you to do the things you really enjoy, like spend time with your family, enjoy your hobbies and do more traveling! It’s clear to see why so many savvy business owners out-
source their entire business… and why you should too. But before you even think of hiring a freelancer, you need to make sure the process is painless, productive and profitable.
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You can get started with outsourcing in just four easy steps. Step 1: Determine Your Needs Your first step is to figure out what to outsource. Ask yourself: • What jobs do you need done? Here you need to evaluate all areas of your business, including: Writing, copywriting, graphics, design, programming and other technical jobs, marketing and customer service. Then draw up a list of jobs you have in each of these areas. • Is it cost-effective to outsource? First attach a dollar figure to your time (such as $50, $75, $100 or whatever your time is worth). Then figure out how long it would take you to do a particular task. Next, multiply the hours it takes you to a complete a task by your per-hour worth.
Step 2: Advertise Your Job Once you’ve figured out what tasks you need to outsource, your next step is to advertise the job in order to attract as many qualified prospective freelancers as possible. While there are a variety of ways to do this – and you should utilize as many of these methods as possible – one great way to do it is to post your project on a freelancing board like Odesk.com.
Step 3: Choose a Vendor At this point you’ll get to choose from among a lot of vendors. But don’t make your choice based on price alone. Instead, you need to do your due diligence to find the most reliable freelancer who’ll get the best results for you. This
favorite book: My favorite business book is “Get Clients Now” by CJ Hayden. It is my marketing and sales bible. I go back to it again and again. It provides a complete system for planning and excuting your marekting and sales activities so you are more liekly to get the results you really want. And the plans can be customized to any service business no matter how long you’ve been in business. I also give copies to my team so they can create their own plans to help grow my business.
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step takes a bit of time upfront, but it will save you a lot of time, frustration and money in the long run. Once you’ve researched all the candidates, select the best one and hire him or her. Then move on to…
Step 4: Manage the Project Whether you get mediocre or great results is largely going to depend on what you do at this step. That’s because you need to do the following: • Provide a clear brief and instructions. Your freelancer may have some amazing talents, but mind reading probably isn’t one of them. You need to provide a clear and accurate “no guesswork required” brief for your freelancer. • Offer protocol checklists to help your freelancer produce the best results. Secondly, you need to continue to communicate your wishes and help your freelancer do great work for you. At this point you’re probably thinking at the whole fourstep process sounds simple enough. And you’d be right. But you may also be looking to fill in the gaps. Example: Where can you get sample briefs and protocol checklists? How, exactly, do you do your due diligence? And what are some of the other reliable ways to find freelancers? You can find the answers to all of these questions – plus all the checklists and protocols you need – inside my Delegated to Done Formula program! It’s outsourcing made easy. Learn more at DelegatedtoDoneFormula.com.
bio
Deanna Maio, Delegation & Implementation Strategist and Speaker helps business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are doing too much figure out how to create the right plan, systems, and team to get more done, have more time, and catapult their income. Deanna is the creator of the Delegated to Done Formula and the co-author of GPS for Success with Dr. Steven Covey, Dr. John Gray, and Les Brown. She was selected as one of the 20 Best Business Coaches in 2013 by ClearSimpleMarketing.com and selected The Best of Portland 2013 and Business Management Consultant of the Year and was honored with the same award in 2014. Deanna holds a certificate in Project Management from Portland State University; is a certified trainer for NetSpeedLeadership & Blazing Service, a certified MyersBriggs Facilitator with 10 years experience using that tool with individuals, managers, leaders and team. Given all that she has accomplished and as quickly as she has done it, it’s no wonder that Deanna believes time is our most precious commodity. She says, “Once a moment has passed, it’s gone forever. And if time equals money then in
business we must be as productive as possible. Completing the work required as quickly as you can while achieving the desired result is critical to reaching our goals and delivering quality service and products to our customers.” She recognizes that most businesses face daunting challenges as they grow. Failing to address these challenges, quickly, can have a devastating impact on performance and profitability. Deanna believes and teaches that if everyone in an organization has the right systems and tools to be productive, morale increases, attrition decreases, and profits go up. With her entertaining teaching style and experience in organizations large and small, Deanna is a recognized leader in her field and she continues to innovate, create, and build new thought processes for making businesses more productive and even more profitable. When she’s not teaching or coaching her clients you might find her singing 1940s swing with her band Deanna & the Downbeats, cooking healthy meals, or enjoying one of her many guilty-pleasure television shows with her boyfriend Tim.
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MY STORY Some people have a rags-to-riches kind of story. I’m going to be really honest with you, I don’t have that kind of story, I geek out on this stuff, I always have. Early on, It seemed I had just a knack for having to figure out how to accomplish tasks quickly and with as little effort as possible and then sharing that with others. You would often find me playing school with the neighborhood kids. I was always the teacher because I had to be the leader of the realm. And I was lucky my famiy was one of the first to get a computer. Not only did I learn how to program but when I wasn’t programming I was playing strategy games like The Oregon Trail, Star Trek or a stock market game. I’ve just always had a knack for thinking strategically and creating systems. As a matter of fact, one of the very first systems I ever created when I was about 10 I decided I should loan out books to the kids in my neighborhood so I created a library card catalogue system. Can you imagine? So you don’t want to play a game of Clue with me because I’ll kick your butt and I take it way too seriously, you do want me helping you in your business because, knowing how to get the restuls you want as quickly and easily as possible is my jam. In fact I take this so seriously it gets me and my clients some really amazing results. Professionally, I cut my teeth in the Technology and Human Resources fields. I solved problems, managed projects, and developed training and development programs for a Fortune 500 company. Looking back on it now, I realized that every job I had, even my waitressing positions, I was always the trainer and I possessed the unique ability to make informed decisions, find the right tools and resources, develop plans, and implement. I got the desired results faster and with less stress. Whether it was software or hardware, process creation, removing an obstacle, solving interpersonal employee issues or helping leaders face the behaviors that were sabotaging their results, I was able to step in and provide workable solutions quickly. In the last 6 years I’ve hired more than 150 contractors, interns and outsourcers in my business to do all the busy work, the paperwork and the things I don’t like to do. I’ve only had to fire three over those 6 years. I only work four days a week from 9:00AM to 4:00PM Tuesdays through Friday and none of my team members live in my city or state. And because of them, my focus, and zest for seeing business owners have a profitalble and fun business I make a nice living, I have plenty of time for friends, travel, for my music. Life is good.
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And because of them, my focus, and zest for seeing business owners have a profitalble and fun business I make a nice living, I have plenty of time for friends, travel, for my music. Life is good.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE GIFT!
GET THE RIGHT PLAN, SYSTEMS AND TEAM TO GO FROM DELEGATED TO
Done!
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Who Needs Struggle When You’ve Got
Fairy Dust?
Three Keys to Unleashing Your Personal Mix of Business Magic
Anne
Perry
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You know that one entrepreneur you admire? Yes, the one who has that super unique business… a career she totally invented, like presto bingo. You’ve never seen anything like it before, yet somehow you get it right away. Oh, and she seems so naturally self-expressed too, doesn’t she? It’s like it’s effortless for her. She just is who she is, and - whatever she’s doing - she’s rockin it. What’s her secret? Is she just lucky? A genius? Did she follow that “proven system” to 6-figure success? Nope. I’ll tell you her secret: MAGIC.
have to settle. Anything is possible. Anything. If you desire it, it’s meant for you. And you are infinitely more powerful than you know. Here’s one that a client recently shared with me: The world is sick. We are bombarded with toxins and chemical food, and it affects all areas of life. You can have a clear mind, loving heart, and free spirit - and it all starts with your body. Here’s another: Humor is important. If we all just lightened up and laughed more (at ourselves, at the spectacle of humanity), we’d be a lot happier and the world would be a more peaceful place.
Yup, it’s magic. She’s got it. (And you do too). Listen. If you have been spinning your wheels for longer than you’d like, or you’ve been working disproportionately hard for the money that’s coming in… it’s time to infuse your biz with a little magic sauce. Because when you are tapped into your magic? Things flow. You flourish with ease. You magnetize clients and opportunities and money right to you. And! You have much more fun allthewhile. You game? Let’s go.
Here are Three Keys to Unleashing Your Personal Mix of Business Magic: 1) Know your Wake Up Message for the World
Would you agree that the business of your dreams is not just about money? Sure, moola is fabulous, yet business is so much more! It is an opportunity to do what you love, to experience more aliveness in your day, and to share your gifts to make a difference in the world in a way that you uniquely can. The question is, what is the difference you are here to make? The answer to that question is what I call your “Wake Up Message” for the world. Imagine for a moment you grab the world by the shoulders and shake some sense into it. You shout, “Wake up! Don’t you see? Don’t you get it?!?!” What is the message you want everyone to get? What would change the world, if only people really knew? My Wake Up Message sounds something like: You don’t
Your Wake Up Message is a potent ingredient for your magic cauldron because it is a force bigger than your business altogether. When you are connected to it, you are tapped into fuel far more powerful than all the forced hustling, trial and erroring, and long days working your ass off that so many entrepreneurs resort to, just to keep their business afloat. The exact shape and form of your business may change over the years, yet your Wake Up Message is core to who you are. It doesn’t serve your business - your business serves it. It’s why you’re here.
2) Respect Desire Looking back at my career, there were several crossroads moments when I chose a less desirable path because, at the time, it seemed easier to succeed in than the business I really wanted. I convinced myself it was a stepping stone to what I ultimately wanted to do but, in reality, it was just a different path. Guess what happened. I was unfulfilled and stressed all the time. It was a lot of hard work and I ran on fumes for as long as I could until I finally ended up exhausted, deflated, and straight up burned out. Truth is, any business takes significant energy to get off the ground. The difference is that the path you don’t truly desire comes with a subconscious digging-your-heels-in resistance, which sets you up for struggle and burnout. The path you desire passionately, on the other hand? It’s where your magic lies. Here’s the thing about desire: Whatever you can dream up, you have the capacity to make happen. You wouldn’t dream it up if it weren’t meant for you. Think of your desires as signposts steering you toward
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your highest life of fulfillment and contribution. Whether it’s a big or small decision you face, take notice - is it a desire or is it a should? The more you say NO to the shoulds, and YES to your desires, the faster and smoother your ride to the magical business of your dreams.
3) Radiate Your Natural Self Here’s what’s happening in the new emerging paradigm of business we find ourselves in: The separation between business and life is blurring. The distinction between you as a businesswoman and you as a human is dissolving. And your brand? It’s just YOU, amplified. And this is a good thing. It means you can just show up as you are, wherever you are. Gone are the days of putting on the stuffy suit to be “professional” for clients and then letting the real you out on nights and weekends. So go ahead… You hereby have permission to drop the corporate lingo and talk like a real person. Dye your hair three different shades of purple if it tickles you. Write a blog article about faeries and leprechauns. If you want to drop the F bomb in your teleseminar? Drop it like it’s hot. Turns out one of the greatest entrepreneurial permission slips - getting to be fully self-expressed in all areas of your work - is also a magic ingredient that brings your business to life and magnetizes the right people to you. The people who are attracted to your business are the people who are attracted to you. Radiate your natural self, love. YOU are your best magic. Lean In and Listen Up… This is Important. If you’ve read this far, I know you don’t want the business that has you wondering, “Is this all there is?” You desire the business that has you pinching yourself every day like, “I seriously get paid to do this?!?!” And, as we discussed earlier, if you desire it it’s meant for you. So it’s only fair that I tell you the truth here. It takes courage to go the magic route. Settling is easier. Having a magic business requires listening to your dream intently and prioritizing it NOW, even when it’s scary. You must put your dream out there to the world, where it is vulnerable and exposed to the elements. I always say the path of the entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. Not at all. It’s for the strong of heart.
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So listen, strong-hearted one. Your access to the bountiful success you’ve been craving - your actual breakthrough - is right here in your magic. Make the choice to summon the courage to go for it, and you can have it. Your Wake Up Message, your sacred desires, your natural self - these are all magic ingredients to a business that lights up the world. Throw them in your cauldron and stir it up, lil darlin.
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Bio: Anne Perry is founder of Business Heroine Magazine.
My Favorite Book
After years spent burdened by debt and suffocating jobs, Anne was determined to escape the hamster wheel life and leave a trail for others like her. Finally carving her own path to freedom, Anne became a work-fromanywhere entrepreneur, running her business from the beaches of Belize, from islands off the coast of Panama, and while traveling around the United States in a motorhome.
Picking a book to recommend is not an easy task. I dig into all sorts of books about business smarts. I also love books about spirituality, in which I can sink into energy all sorts of magical ‘out there’ stuff. If HGTV were a book, I’d read that too.
Anne has since built Business Heroine as a platform to broadcast the voices of women who, despite obstacles, decide to break free of the mold and create life according to her own design. Discover the magazine for the entrepreneur who says she will, and does, at BusinessHeroineMagazine.com.
Sometimes ‘what sucks’ is the strongest motivator. It gets your butt in gear. But once you’re in gear - with your motor running and nose to the grindstone - you can chase a carrot to your gravestone if you’re not careful. And, ultimately, what’s it all for?
My fave book this year, though? The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte. Here’s why…
The Desire Map is about creating goals with soul. Feeling good is the primary intention. It’s a journey to discover your core desired feelings, so you can infuse them into your life - moment-by-moment, starting now. Sure, you can still go after your million dollars, AND you can be fully alive in the meantime. That’s what being a Happy Entrepreneur is all about, yes?
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MY STORY My story begins with birds and bankruptcy.
together enough money to pay for gas to get to San Francisco and rent for one month while I looked for a job.
Actually, the saga spans long before that, yet it was on the day of birds and bankruptcy I made a decision that changed the course of my entrepreneurial life forever. I was twenty-seven years old. My business was tanking, I was bankrupt, and was losing my home to foreclosure. I remember walking to the cafe around the corner, counting my change to see if I could afford a cup of coffee and trying to ignore my ringing cell phone, which I knew was a bill collector. I had left my job about six months earlier - totally took a leap of faith and quit, to start my own energy healing practice. It was my first “real” business. I was good at my work and I did get clients but, even with a couple supplemental side gigs, it just wasn’t enough. Coins in hand, the ever-present anxiety in my chest began to swell and, just before it swallowed me completely, I was suddenly hit with a moment of presence. I thought: Okay, I’m still alive. I can feel the sun on my face. I can hear the birds overhead. I can feel my feet hit the pavement.
I’d be lying if I said my struggles ended instantaneously. Yet, it turns out the beauty of this something-has-gotto-give moment is that it was a massive turning point. I learned the depth of my inner resources, and hitting rock bottom gave me a surface to spring up from. Years later, I am now married to that handsome fella that whisked me off to California. I have traveled the world while running my business. I make great money doing exactly what I love and I show others how to do the same. In fact, I founded Business Heroine Magazine to showcase what is possible... and that is anything. Because whatever you can dream up you have the capacity to make happen. You wouldn’t dream it if it weren’t meant for you.
In that moment, all the busy-ness I had been caught up in and all the struggle that had somehow become my daily reality felt… invented. I thought: This is not what life is meant to be like. I thought about the birds. They weren’t stressed out. They were just existing. Somehow I had thrown all these barriers in my own way. A few weeks later I abandoned my life as I knew it. I met a boy, fell head-over-heels in love, and decided to move to California with him. I dropped my struggling business and quit my side jobs. I sold everything I owned to scrape
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A NOTE TO FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS Beautiful woman entrepreneur, on behalf of you - on behalf of us - I wrote this letter:
We believed you. But here’s the truth…
To the dream stealers, We do have dreams, but we are not dreamers. We believed you for many years. Our hearts sank and our shoulders slumped as what you believed was (im)possible formed our own prison walls. We *almost* accepted that the dreams we held so close to our hearts were… Unrealistic. Risky. Flat out fantasy. Almost. Because you’re very convincing. And you’re everywhere. You tell us to get our head out of the clouds. Sometimes with harsh words. Sometimes with a teasing laugh. Sometimes with a pep-talk and a dose of well-intended advice. Sometimes it’s just a look in your eyes. Is it judgement? Worse; pity? It’s masked with a smile, but we see it. And it cuts straight to our heart. After all, you’ve seen us try and fail before. It’s embarrassing. Spirit-deflating. What makes us think this time could be different? Maybe we are living in fantasy. Delusional. Destined to be a dreamer that never quite makes it. Maybe we just. don’t. have. what. it. takes.
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We are possibility seers - expanders of what is and what can be. We are healers - leading a new way of being and thinking. We are entrepreneurs - creators of what’s invisible today, yet which will change the world tomorrow. We’re here on a mission. We have big work to do. So big - so important - it hurts our spirit not to do it. That’s why - even amidst your doubts - we continue to get up, even after a bad fall. That’s why we choose to follow desire rather than should. That’s why we pursue our dreams no matter what. You can join us if you want. Or, you can continue to laugh, scold, and pity us for believing in what you think is (im) possible. In the meantime, we’ll just go about Seeing. Healing. Creating. We’ll just go and do it. with love,
The “Dreamers”
Listen. It IS possible to make amazing money doing exactly (and only) what you love, and guess what… People who say it won’t work (or that you’re just a dreamer) are wrong. It just means they can’t see it. Too bad. They say NO? You say “Watch me.” That’s right. YOU get to invent your career. On your terms. Exactly the way you want. Fitting into a box that someone else made for you sucks. Here’s how to get out…
CLICK HERE FOR
Free Gift
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Simplify Your Products and Programs to Double Your Income
by Susie Romans
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Simplicity is hot these days. Call it a fad or call it a trend... But simplicity really does work when it comes to products and programs. The best way to lose your audience and lose customers is to overwhelm them with too many options. If you have too many options to choose from, potential customers and clients might not understand the difference from one product or program to another. Let’s have a look at my failures in my first year of business. I thought I was riding the passive income train when I developed my first two products: Get Hired! Social Media Manager Kit and Get Hired! Virtual Assistant Kit I was literally getting hundreds of thousands of hits online and so my sales should have reflected that. Right? Sure, I was selling some product but I knew I could have done better.
1. WHere did i fail? Both products were pretty similar. Too similar. At the time, my audience was women who wanted to work from home and bloggers who wanted a way to make a real income by offering services. Side note: This is no longer my
2.
My inability to differentiate one product from the other was the reason I did not hit six figures in my first year of business.
so what can you learn from my mistakes?
When you are creating offerings, products or program make sure people understand how one is different from the other. People want to know that your solution is exactly what they need. They need to feel that it’s the right choice for them! Hands down! When I overwhelmed my audience with options... people didn’t know which to choose and in some cases... they chose to buy nothing.
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niche, as my brand has evolved but stick with me for the lesson..
I was catering to one circumstance. One struggle. One pain point. But I was offering a couple roads to get there. Instead of just showing them, “This is it. This is the ONE OPTION you need. It’’s the best option, it’s the ONLY option you’ve got to get it! It will transform your life.” Obviously we would never use this words, but you get the point.
3.
overlapping training materials is not the answer
When you have material that is overlapping from one product or program to another this might be a sign that you need to make some shifts.
They are simplifying their product lines. They are cutting out some products or programs that are overlapping with others. Why?
Poeple might be confused as to what they should buy or how one program is different from another. This is a trend we see even the multi-millionaires in online business are doing.
4.
To kill the doubt factor in buyers. Once again, you need to give your buyers a clear path to action.
digital products and selling information is important!
It is now very clear how my offerings products and programs all differ from one another. I create marketing funnels based on the circumstances that potential clients are in. If my client is in circumstance A then what I want them to purchase product A. If my client is in circumstance B then what I want them to purchase product B.
business. They can buy either my eBook, my eCourse or join my monthly coaching. (Overwhelm. Freak out. Client clicks away.) For every situation or circumstance that my potential clients need assistance with...there should be a clear and concise product that fulfills that need. It should be the direct answer to their needs. Make this dummy-proof.
So let me share some examples: Right: Client needs more website traffic and leads. They buy The Website Traffic Solution.
Where there is a problem, there should be one correlating offering. You don’t want to overwhelm potential buyers.
Right: Client needs accountability and “how to” guidance in order to create digital products. They buy my monthly coaching program. Wrong: Client wants to create a freedom based
To kill the doubt factor in buyers. Once again, you need to give your buyers a clear path to action.
Big secret? You do not need more and more products and programs. You just need to sell more of the ones that you have. the happy entrepreneur
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bio: Susie Romans, entrepreneur, speaker and online income expert, shows you the tools and processes that you need to grow your online business. From reaching four million blog readers to developing digital products and programs, Susie has immense value and inspiration to share with passionate, purpose driven entrepreneurs. She wants to welcome you to the age of “internet abundance� where you can blend your passion with the needs of the market for a fulfilling, profitable, and limitless business and lifestyle from home.
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a note To
Female Entrepreneurs Welcome to internet abundance, ladies. We are living in an era where we can reach literally millions of people all over the globe with our message, business or brand. The worst thing you can do is to sit on the sidelines and pretend that freedom and fulfillment is not important. Entrepreneurship is evolving, it’s growing and the paths to success are plenty. I can show you how I reached millions of people online and make an impact everyday. You have not missed the boat, you are the boat! Let’s make it happen. the happy entrepreneur
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my story: By most people’s standards… I had it made. I had a flexible career, where I worked at home managing the sales department for a small digital agency. I was making about $45/hour and for most people that is pretty comfy. But I knew something inside me was calling me to be more. I had more potential, I just knew it. So, I decided to quit the cushy job to dive into my own brand FULL TIME. I was all in. The day after I quit I found myself sobbing on the bathroom floor worried that we foreclose on our home, because my my “irresponsible decision”. My meltdown lasted about 3 days. Then something changed. Like flipping on a light switch; I decided this is it. Put on those big girl panties. I had to make this work. I knew I
was was smart enough and capable enough. So I hustled. I sought out help. I changed my business model and became super clear on my offerings, then of course I got on the phone ready and eager to book some clients. And I did. Now my business consists of both coaching and digital offerings like ecourses and ebooks. By most people’s standards, I am a risk taker and a little crazy. But this life brings me freedom. Freedom to play with my children wherever I want, freedom to jump on a plane and book a vacation whenever I want, freedom to reach for the stars when setting my income goals, freedom to juggle my responsibilities from home life, to parenting to business - and I wouldn’t have it any other way. .
book recommendation: 10 Secrets to Success and Inner Peace - Dr Wayne Dyer Why? Helps me tune into my true purpose and my spirituality. I am mean to make a big impact in the world and this book helps me take my eyes off the money and onto the BIG picture or serving others with my message and mission.
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free e-book! “How I Reached Over 4.6 Million Blog Visitors with No Advertising”
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Click Here for Your
free gift
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What No One Tells Entrepreneurs about Making and Saving Plenty of Money: 3 Keys To a
Rich Life
by Belinda Rosenblum
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Most business owners believe they “should” know how to handle their finances. After all, you’re smart. Heck, you run your own business! You have always “figured things out” on your own. There’s no reason why money should be any different. Right? What no one tells you is that, as an entrepreneur, your relationship with money is different than your friends and family with jobs. Unlike employees, every dollar you make is one that you have to ask for, directly or indirectly. This can be hard to do – and you’re doing it. So bravo! Here’s the deal -- you can’t stop there. As an entrepreneur, you need more money skills than most employees ever will – because you’ve got more at stake. Without these skills, you risk not making enough money… or spending it all, with nothing left over for you. If my work with hundreds of professionals and business owners has taught me one thing, it’s that few of us start our businesses with all the skills we need to be successful. Fortunately, these skills can be learned. Now, I know you probably didn’t start your business because it would help you grow as a person… but it is a terrific bonus. As one of my friends likes to say, “running a business is the most lucrative form of therapy.” So, what does it take to make sure your business is profitable – and that you’re creating a life that’s rich in meaning, rich in freedom, and rich in relationships? The short answer is: it takes these learnable skills. I call them Rich Life Skills – because when you use them, you can’t help but create a rich life. Here are 3 rich life skills every entrepreneur needs to make – and save – plenty of money:
Rich Life Skill #1
1. taking action So many people use planning and preparation and “getting ready” as an unconscious delay tactic – practice NOT being one of them. Take action early. Take action often. And take action, even when you are afraid. The great thing about action is that you get feedback about what works – and what doesn’t. The secret here is that generally any action is better than no action. Even if you don’t get the results you want, chances are your next step will be revealed – so you’ll know what action to take next. What’s the one next step you can take in the direction of your goal?
Rich Life Skill #2
2.
not taking it personally
It’s really easy to look at your accounts and tell yourself that you’ll NEVER have enough money… or believe that one potential client who says they can’t afford your rates means that NO ONE will EVER pay you that rate. But what if those ideas just aren’t true? As an entrepreneur, develop the skill of approaching success and money with logic, not emotion. Distinguish between “what happened” and the meaning you are adding to it. Instead of thinking there is a problem, look for the opportunity to make a situation better. A powerful question here is: What else can this mean? And then keep asking yourself this question until you come up with a lot of different meanings. Often, many of these responses are quite positive! When you don’t take things personally, you create more room to problem-solve and create extraordinary outcomes.
Rich Life Skill #3
3. Creating
leverage
Too many entrepreneurs spend precious hours working on projects that result in little or no income. They aren’t focused on revenue generating activities and waste important time (and resources) waiting for a “big break” to find them. Soon they find themselves disappointed when no one comes knocking at their door, and some even abandon their businesses before learning how to make plenty of money from them. Instead, train yourself to see opportunities everywhere. On any given day, there are dozens of ways to make money, if you are open. Be selective and decisive in pursuing the best ones with the highest clear return, and then make sure you leverage those opportunities. Get in the habit of making the most of each opportunity before you move onto the next one. That way, you maximize your time, money, and talents. For instance, once a client has completed a program with you, consider a Level Two or maintenance program instead of parting ways. This is usually much easier than the
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energy and cost it takes to find a new client. Even if it has been a while, reach out to your past clients and see what their next challenge is that you can help them with – you have a gold mine in your network. Along with leveraging your biggest opportunities, it also pays to develop strong earning skills – like turning potential clients into paying customers, public speaking, and effective marketing. These are skills that will give you a return on your investment many times over – giving you freedom, security, and abundance for the rest of your life. So there you have it – 3 Rich Life Skills that will put you on the path to making and saving more as an entrepreneur. Develop these skills, and before long, you’ll be surprised at how money and opportunities seem to find you. The truth is, it’s not magic at all – it’s your own ability to create a rich life.
bio: Belinda Rosenblum is a CPA and Wealth Expert who helps corporate professionals and entrepreneurs take charge of their money. She left her thriving corporate finance role to transform the way people think, feel, and act with their finances. She’s leading a movement to change our entire perspective on money — from a source of fear, shame, and judgment to one of joy, ease, and confidence. Belinda is coauthor of SELF-WORTH TO NET WORTH: 12 Keys to Creating Wealth Inside and Out, offering a step-by-step approach to help you build your financial self-esteem and manage your own financial life.
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my story I was an Accounting major in college who aced corporate finance. I graduated and started a job at a top accounting firm. Within a few months, I was flying high – literally. Every week, it was a different client office in a different state.
avoiding, and piled them on the kitchen table. There were three huge stacks of bills and mail. I could barely see over the piles. And it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Shortly after graduation, my dad had a stroke that landed him in the hospital first, then a nursing home. I was left to figure out the family’s finances. It wasn’t long before I started to fall behind on the paperwork. To be fair, I had a lot on my plate. I was travelling. I was building my career. I was taking care of my dad. With all of that going on, I wasn’t making the time to go through the growing stack of bills.
I had been avoiding my own money. But avoidance wouldn’t make my dad better. Avoidance wouldn’t pay the medical bills or the credit card statements. Avoidance wouldn’t make the late fees go away. Avoidance wasn’t working. In fact, it was making me feel horrible! So I decided – then and there – that I needed to figure out how to manage my own money. The first step was to stop running and start taking action, one bill at a time.
Maybe you can relate? Here’s the thing. I was good at managing money for other people and other businesses – after all, I was an accountant. But I had never learned how to be successful with my own money. By age twenty-eight, I was in charge of 8 bank accounts, 5 credit cards, 2 homes, and 1 rental property. That’s a lot – even for an accountant! The turning point came when my sister asked me, “Have you been paying all of Dad’s bills?” Filled with guilt and shame, I had to tell her no. That stung. I gathered up my courage and then all the financial documents, bills, and statements I had been
Over the next six months, I faced the reality of our family finances, asked for help, and created a new way of thinking and being with money. With new habits and a solid money management system, I began to feel joyful and free. It wasn’t instant. It wasn’t always easy. But five years after that tough day at my kitchen table, I was a self-made millionaire. Now, I teach smart people practical steps to get smarter with their money. I help them build a healthier, more joyful relationship with their finances – and their lives. I’m 100% certain that you can create the rich life you’ve always dreamed of, too. It all starts when you stop avoiding and decide the only person who’s going to make your dream happen is you.
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a note to female entrepreneurs:
Dear woman entrepreneur,
Many women have a relationship with money that’s “complicated.” They avoid it. They have all sorts of conflicted feelings about it. They say they want what it can offer them, but expect it to happen magically, with no attention, time, or effort on their part. If money were a man, most of us would tell our friend to dump this loser! But in the case of a woman and her money, it’s not actually money that is the problem. It’s how many of us feel, act and relate to our money that needs to shift. If you want to create a rich life where you are independent, free, and have plenty of money to afford your dream lifestyle, the time has come to take control of your finances. And take a brave, honest look at how you treat the money you have now – so you can pave the way to make a lot more of it. If there’s one thing I know in my bones, it’s that every woman can have a great relationship with money. It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter how your parents were with money or what they taught you. It doesn’t matter how much is in your bank account right now. What matters is that you make certain decisions – that will change the rest of your life, starting now. Decide that money is your ally, instead of your enemy.
Decide that money is fun – or even a game! – instead of a burden you must deal with. Decide that money is an energy you can learn to create and conduct, instead of something for experts, men, or people with business degrees. The truth is, you don’t need to have an accounting degree (like I do) or be a whiz at math to own the power you have over money. You just need to decide to claim that power… and have a little confidence, courage and a willingness to get outside your comfort zone to take action now.
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I want you to have an extraordinary and highly functional relationship with your money. It would be my honor to support you along the way. Let’s start today. Here’s to your rich life, Belinda
book recommendation: My background in corporate finance had trained me in the mechanics of number crunching, but it hadn’t prepared me for the emotional side of managing my own money. The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist showed me that money is emotional for many people. It’s often stressful and creates a lot of anxiety. This book opened me up to the idea that if we change the way we think and feel about money, we have the potential to change our whole lives. Money isn’t good or bad. We give money its meaning and power. Which is wonderful news, because it means you have the power to make money “mean” anything you want. This is an amazing opportunity for self-discovery and personal transformation… not to mention making a lot more money! The groundbreaking idea that we can change how we feel about money is now a big part of my work. I’ve helped my clients go from feeling worried and resistant about money to seeing and creating plenty of opportunities to make, save and share it. This is the key to achieving your goals and feeling a deep satisfaction with your life – and if that sounds like your cup of tea, I highly recommend this book.
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