We global may 2018 master file

Empowering Women In Business

GLOBAL May 2018

S u h a m A l exa n d e r :

who wants a

MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS?

07 38 41 46 49 52 54 56

SUCCESS STORIES

real life business achievements you need to read

A HAPPY WORK ENVIRONMENT six secrets you need to know

FEATURED EDITORIAL

Suham Alexander: be inspired by a journey of success

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME

ON OUR COVER: Suham Alexander is the founder and principal consultant of Dream Business Consulting Group.

She works closely with people to give them practical tools and solutions that breakthrough limitations and push them to achieve their goals. This is accomplished by performing a needs assessment and analysis of the business to identify pain points.

you are ready for a thriving business

SAVVY FEMALES

Tove & Sandra - a growing sisterhood

A KILLER AUDIENCE

tips and tricks to get you going

IT’S A FACT

facts sell, stories tell

FORGET TIME MANAGEMENT focus on your energy instead

Images by Julie C. Butler

What are the top five business and life lessons you have learned throughout your career?

01)

You must have a clear vision of why your business exists.

This will be your guiding light and help you steer your ship

throughout the course you have chartered for your business. It will direct your strategies, decision-making and your hiring.

02)

A marketing spend is essential. Marketing is what puts your business on the map and lets people know

you exist. People often feel that it’s so expensive to invest in marketing, but it’s actually the opposite – it’s more expensive not to make this investment.

03)

Don’t be afraid to change. Again, this applies to your professional and personal life. In business, you must

adapt to the forces at play in your industry, the economy and your clientele. If you don’t constantly keep up to date with the latest information, products, and services, you’re doing a disservice to both your customers as well as your business. In your personal life, change is hard, but it’s usually for the best. You have to keep evolving if you want to become a better version of yourself.

04)

Authenticity and transparency are important in all aspects of your business and personal life. You must

believe in what you are doing and do it for the right reasons.

Transparency builds trust and loyalty which are essential to your business and personal relationships.

05)

Be kind to yourself. Accept that you can’t be everything to everyone and this is ok. Accept that imperfection is

perfectly normal. Most of all, remain grounded and stay true to your values.

Suham Alexander is the founder and principal consultant of Dream Business Consulting Group. She works closely with people to give them practical tools and solutions that breakthrough limitations and push them to achieve their goals. This is accomplished by performing a needs assessment and analysis of the business to identify pain points.

GET IN TOUCH WITH SUHAM ALEXANDER EMAIL: suham.alexander@gmail.com WEB: www.dreambusinessconsulting.com FACEBOOK: Dream Business Consulting Group

You must believe in what you are doing and do it for the right reasons.�

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 5

May is one of my favorite months for a few reasons. One of those reasons is that, in May I celebrate my 8th wedding anniversary with my husband - our first wedding anniversary celebration in New Zealand.

We are in the 5th month of 2018 and every day time passes by just quicker and quicker. I hope that 2018 has been a phenomenal year for you so far and that you are exceeding all your expectations. If you are not there yet, don’t worry. This magazine is dedicated to helping you achieve your goals and to exceed your expectations.

My quote of the month is by the world renowned entrepreneur, Grant Cardone: “Success is your duty.” The only person that is accountable for your success, is you!

To your success, Erna Basson Founder and CEO | Woman Entrepreneur

Erna Basson is an award-winning entrepreneur, world-class business coach and international keynote speaker. She is well known for starting, growing and selling companies fast and her passion is to help people become entrepreneurs so that they too can achieve and live their dream.

She is the Founder and CEO of Erabella Beauty , the fastest growing hair extensions brand in the world. She is the CEO and Founder of Woman Entrepreneur, a global platform to Empower Women in Business

editor@womanentrepreneur.co www.womanentrepreneur.co

SUCCESS STORY

1)

Give us a bit of background about yourself.

Right now, I live in Johannesburg with my two children and husband. We are very blessed to live in an Equestrian Estate where we are surrounded by our 8 beautiful horses, 6 dogs, 3 rabbits and numerous chickens. I am a partner in a retail store called Frock you up, where my partner, Louise Millar, and I design and manufacture gorgeous woman’s clothing. Besides my clothing store, I also run my styling business, Lynn Deckers, where I do image consultation, wardrobe planning, personal shopping and makeovers. I have had a total passion for style and beauty from a very young age and was cutting up my pyjamas at the age of four to create ballgowns for my dolls. I studied fashion at the Gordon Flack Davison Academy of Design, which I loved and have had close to 28 years of experience in the fashion industry. Later, as my career advanced, I added Image consulting, make up and makeovers to my repertoire.

8 | MAY 2018

2)

Tell us about some of your amazing achievements?

I think my biggest achievement has been that I have managed to bring up two beautiful children, largely as a single mother, and they have turned into successful, beautiful adults. As a very young designer I won a national competition in design which helped me launch myself into a rewarding career in fashion and led me to design and manufacture clothing for some international fashion brands.

are your core business principles 3) What and values you adhere to?

My absolute biggest principle is integrity, followed closely by trust and honesty. I have dealt with many people on this journey who have had little of all three and I find that very disappointing.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

4)

What is your weakness and how do you compensate for this in business?

I would say that as a creative, my mind is all over the place and I find it hard to focus on one thing and I love to start lots of new projects, sometimes not finishing them. I have had to discipline myself to complete what I start and, what has helped tremendously, is to put the right people into place to do certain aspects of the jobs I do.

do you think is more important, motivation or execution? Why? 5) What

I think motivation is extremely important as this is where ideas are born. But, if they are not executed, no money is ever going to come in. Many people are motivated but not everyone executes, which is why many people would love to be successful in business, but never manage to make the transition in their own business.

6) What inspires and motivates you?

BEFORE

AFTER

I am driven by my absolute love and passion for creating beauty, for making women look amazing and enabling them to fall in love with themselves again.

7)

What has been your biggest fail to date and how did you overcome that and what did you learn from that?

My biggest fail was during a particularly huge growth spurt in my business. I handed over a lot of responsibility to the wrong person.

I could have lost my business because of this, but I regrouped and retook over the reins of the business and managed to turn things around.

are a very successful and powerful woman. From your experience, what is 8) You the best way to market your business or yourself?

As someone in the beauty and fashion industry, I think the best way is to be an example yourself. I am my brand, so I always need to be groomed and look the part.

9) What is the secret to your success?

There is no secret, except to work hard and never give up.

I find immense strength from my loving family, animals and the beauty that surrounds me. I think being an animal lover makes me quite a sensitive person and this also helps me greatly in being sensitive to the needs of the women I serve.

10)

What quote do you live by and why?

I totally believe in “less is more”. It has been my motto from a young age in my work and styling. My motto in my life is to say ‘yes’ to as many things as possible.

advice can you give fellow female 11)What entrepreneurs on the same journey who want to achieve the same success as you?

I think it is important to get the right education in your chosen field.

Don’t ever feel that you have to limit yourself to only one thing and allow yourself to dream and love yourself enough.

12)

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?

My competitive edge is that I have many years of experience.

Because I have not only limited myself to fashion design, but also styling, make up and image, I offer a lot.

GET IN TOUCH WITH LYNN DECKERS TEL: +27(0)82 412 4408 EMAIL: lynn@lynndeckers.com WEB: www.lynndeckers.com lynndeckersZA lynn_deckers www.womanentrepreneur.co | 9

ERNA’S LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE: Named South Africa’s Top Entrepreneur Under 30

by Fast Company Magazine in 2017 Featured on the cover of Fast Company Magazine in June 2017 Received the 2017 Global Female Entrepreneur award in Los Angeles

Do you want to start a new business?

Top 100 Most Influential Young South Africans 2017

Do you have an existing business but want to 10x your profit?

Finalist at Africa’s most Influential Women in Business 2017

Do you feel stuck in your current business?

Completed a 4-year Bachelors Degree in 3 years with 18 distinctions

Do your marketing and branding suck and you need assistance?

Erna Basson is the coach for you.

She has started, grown and sold several businesses and is now helping entrepreneurs around the world to do the same.

AS SEEN IN:

Log your strategy call today with Erna

www.ernabasson.com

SUCCESS STORY

M ichel le C I A N T A R Michelle Ciantar is a Communication Consultant who typically works with companies, businesses and individuals on effective communication strategies in digital marketing, branding, public relations, brand reputation management, professional communication practice, social media marketing, crisis communication and stakeholder management. Her background has been in working in a leadership role for just under ten years as a manager and supervisor for two international companies. Being in a leadership role from the young age of 21 up until age 29, Michelle became very successful at managing people and communication. After leaving her job to become a full-time mother, she completed a Diploma in Business and a Bachelor in Communication (Public Relations).

01 |

Please share some of your amazing achievements with our readers.

During my time studying my degree online, I started my first business that provided commercial and residential cleaning services in my local surroundings. I started the business from scratch and created my own unique brand. I also did the marketing and advertising. Within the second year of running my own business, I tripled my income and had made more money than I did in any of my previous jobs. It got to the point where I had to take my ads down and delegate some work to other people. This was while I was studying for my degree and raising my three children. Being able to balance my studies, business and family commitments while still managing to get high grades and finish my degree has been one of my biggest achievements to date. I received multiple customer service excellence awards and bonuses in my early career in management.

02 |

What are your core business principles and values that you adhere to?

My number one core value in business is about having great communication and relationships with my clients. I really value respect, trust, accountability, authenticity and excellence in providing a reliable service in all that I do. I am committed to always improve my communication skills in both life and business. This is something I will always strive to improve, not only for myself, but also for the people I am working with.

03 |

What is your weakness and how do you compensate for this in business?

My weakness is about always trying to do too much at the same time. The way I compensate for this is by having a top five priority list of things that need my attention the most and then only focus on those five things. I like to have this priority list done the night before so that when I am starting my new day, I already know where to focus my attention on and what is really going to move my business forward and produce results.

04 |

What do you think is more important, motivation or execution and why?

Execution is certainly the most important, but I would say they both go hand in hand. You have to be motivated to execute in your business. If you aren’t motivated to take action, then you aren’t going to move forward in your business.

05 |

What inspires and motivates you to do what you do every single day?

Being a good role model to my children is what motivates me to do the work, because I want them to be proud of my achievements and because they are my personal legacy I leave behind in this world. The younger generation are the future leaders and being a parent, I am responsible for creating their experience by who I am becoming. I am inspired by making a positive impact in this world through helping people improve their communication in life and business so we can tell our stories, get our message out there, build better relationships and create a connection with each other.

12 | MAY 2018

06 |

What has been your biggest fail to date?

How did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?

My biggest fail to date was when I pushed myself to work 19 days straight after working and studying for two years without much time off. I ended up needing to take a few months off to recover from burning out. The way I overcame that was by putting self-care as a number one priority until I was my old self again. It was a great lesson for me to learn about creating more balance in my personal and work life. I learned that you need to allow times of rest and restoration in between working for long periods at a time.

07 |

From your experience as a successful woman, what is the best way to market your business and yourself?

Speaking from my personal experience, how you communicate is how you succeed. The best way to market yourself or your business is by being authentic and expressing your true self at all times. You can do this through storytelling, podcasting, speaking, social media posts, blogs, interviews and through the media. Having confidence is also a key factor in successfully marketing yourself and your business. It all comes down to your communication skills. My personal 5 C’s to effectively communicating and marketing your brand, product or service is; 

Clarity - getting clear on who you are serving and what you are selling.



Community - provide a community around your brand and the people you are serving.



Consistency - consistently serving your community and providing value.



Commitment - commit to delivering a high quality of service to your community.



Connection - creating a connection with your audience by doing all of the above and being authentic.

08 |

What is the secret to your success?

There is no real secret to my success so far. It really comes down to knowing what you want, never giving up on your dreams, having a strong mental toughness and a winning attitude. You also need to surround yourself with other successful people and having a coach or mentor is the quickest way to achieving results in your life or business.

“Surround yourself with people who are going to encourage and support you as you grow and celebrate your wins with you.

09 |

What quote do you live by and why?

The quote that I live by is from my business coach, JT Foxx: “Don’t do your best. You have to do whatever it takes to succeed.”

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

10 |

What advice can you give our readers on the same journey as you who want to achieve the

same success?

Don’t ever give up on anything you want to achieve in your life.

Don’t do it alone. Surround yourself with people who are going to encourage and support you as you grow and celebrate your wins with you. Hiring a coach or mentor is vital in achieving success in the area you want to get results in.

11 |

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors? What makes you unique?

Michelle with Janine Allis, founder of Boost Juice

Being able to effectively communicate a message to the right people, in the right way, through the right platform for my clients.

Michelle with her business coach, JT Foxx

Michelle with business owner of the Intelligent Millionaires Network Brisbane, Phil Ghent

GET IN TOUCH WITH MICHELLE CIANTAR EMAIL michelle@communicationstrategyconsultant.com WEB communicationstrategyconsultant.com shellmc3 michelleciantarofficial michelle-ciantar-983971153 Michelle Ciantar www.womanentrepreneur.co | 13

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SUCCESS STORY

VICTORIA ratmanova

M

y name is Victoria Ratmanova, I was born in Ukraine in 1979 and now live with my family in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

I graduated from the Natural Healing Institute of Naturopathy in California as a Master Herbalist in 2009. Upon returning to Amsterdam, I started my own business in natural cosmetics called Yerba Vita. In 2015, I rebranded and formulated a natural anti-aging line with primarily organic ingredients, NATURALS. My journey into the world of natural beauty started much earlier than this. My granny, Babushka Nadya, was a beautiful woman who looked after herself naturally. She used to mash fresh blackberries and put them on her face or slice cold cucumber and place a few pieces under her eyes. 30-50 years ago, the average women in the former Soviet Union didn’t have any access to conventional cosmetics. They used the ingredients they could find in their kitchens or gardens. This was my first reference point on how we can take care of our skin naturally.

In my twenties, my career as a marketing professional for a major international company took me around the globe. Regular jet lags and dehydration from air travel left me struggling with sensitive dry skin. The funny thing is that I didn’t think back to what my granny was doing. Instead, I spent hundreds of dollars trying to find a miracle cream, mostly from those beauty adverts in fashion magazines. However, my skin condition was only getting worse: dry, itchy, flaky…

In my pursuit of a healthier and more conscious lifestyle, I began to look for natural alternatives. I knew that nature is the most accomplished creator of beauty that provides us with all means to heal and preserve our health and beauty. My aim was to find nontoxic products that would be as simple as they would be effective for sensitive 30+ skin.

During my research on organic and natural products, I discovered a whole world of wisdom and creativity. I left my previous job and dived into the world of plants. While studying herbalism I started to formulate my own natural creams. To my amazement, my skin conditions were improving every day. Itching calmed down, redness disappeared, my skin was hydrated and felt soft. I couldn’t believe that, after all these years, it would be me who would have healed my skin with simple plant-based formulas.

Tell us about some of your amazing achievements?

My most amazing achievement was definitely giving birth to my daughter, Sofia, at home, naturally, and without any medical assistance. I simply trusted myself and the process. I was fully in control, conscious and I felt like thousands of generations of women who came before me, were supporting me and guiding me through it. It was the most beautiful and empowering experience. My partner, who was present at the birth, was completely hypnotized by the whole process and he felt like he had re-born himself.

On a professional level, I’d say that starting my business is something I am really proud of. It fulfils more than a business goal, it gives me a purpose. I want to help women on their journey into accepting themselves, feeling confident in their skin and not being afraid of showing what they may think of as flaws because that’s what makes them unique and beautiful. And that is something I see my line of cosmetics contributing to.

I’m at the beginning of my journey and I’m sure there will be more achievements in the future.

What are your core business principles and values you adhere to?

Naturals by Yerba Vita is all about honesty, simplicity, and love. We advocate transparency in everything we do. We use high quality natural and organic certified ingredients. I don’t compromise on those. I want to make sure that my clients get the best treatment their skin deserves. That’s why there’s a level of personalization in the business too. If a product isn’t working the way you’d like, then we’ll work together on a formula that is most suitable for your condition.

What is your weakness and how do you compensate for this in business?

I’m more of a YES person. Sometimes saying NO is a challenge for me. But I know there are moments when I have to say it. I have set goals for my business and private life and every day I focus on the steps that bring me closer to them. That helps me to say no to things that deviate me from my focus. If it’s not part of the plan, then I’ll respectably decline.

What do you think is more important, motivation or execution. Why? In my opinion, motivation is more important, but we do have to execute plans as well. I may have all the motivation in the world to make my business successful, but if I don’t act on it, if I don’t execute the guidelines and the steps I have defined, then it will remain a dream, an unaccomplished dream. Even when you don’t feel like it, or you don’t like doing it, you’ve got to do the work. For example, I’m not into accountancy and figures, but that’s something I must do in order to keep my business going. And motivation will help me through it.

What inspires and motivates you? Why do you get up, get the work done and do it all over again the next day?

What inspires me is seeing the transformation in people and myself, to realize that I am helping people with something that I have created with my own hands. The other day, for example, one of my clients in America attended a business conference and for the first time in her life, she wore no makeup to an event like this.

She felt beautiful and confident. That’s powerful! That’s something the products I’ve been making for her, helped her achieve: that self-confidence and self-love. That’s what makes me get up in the morning every day – even on a grey, rainy day like we so often have in The Netherlands.

16 | MAY 2018

What has been your biggest fail to date? How did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?

Business-wise there are no failures that I can think of as such.

In the past I have blindly trusted others and relied on them too much, only to get disappointed. I ended up not listening to my own instincts, shutting down my own thoughts and ideas. Basically, I betrayed myself. And no one should do that. You should trust yourself at all times.

What I’ve learned is that whatever I have considered as a failure, it has eventually brought me to success. Whatever happens is for the best. I believe that when one door is closing, there will be, without any doubt, another door opening. Here, I’m talking about opportunities. No need to regret anything.

From your experience as a very successful and powerful woman, what is the best way to market your business or yourself?

For me, a personal touch is key. When someone buys our products I always follow up with them, asking them how they are getting along with the products, how their skin feels, if they are already seeing any improvements. It is very important for me to keep a personal relationship with my clients, some even become my friends.

From a business perspective, they trust me and our products much more because of this personal contact we have. Plus, their feedback is so important, their comments help us to improve our formulas and sometimes they even give us ideas to develop new products. At the end of the day, it’s all about the clients. Happy clients are the best marketing a brand can have. I mean, most of my clients are basically referrals from other clients that I have.

I personally don’t rely much on advertisements. Instead, I invest that money into providing the best service I can to my clients. For example, we always add a little gift to the order and we package our products beautifully and with love. But we also make time for our clients: every Tuesday and Friday we give free skincare consultations over the phone or online. What this does is to provide an extra experience to our customers, it brings trust and loyalty two important principles for any brand.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

What is the secret to your success?

I’m not sure if it’s really a secret, but I believe that, if you do what you love, you can only succeed. I believed in what I was doing, in my passion, and I was – and still am - ready to take risks. Those pay off, they always pay off.

I also think there’s an element of flexibility that a business must have: to be open to new ideas, in particular, to listen to what your clients are telling you and to adjust accordingly. I’m not afraid of trying new things. It always brings me a new understanding of what I am doing. Even if it is a crazy idea. There is always something new that I learn from every experience.

We advocate transparency in everything we do. We use high quality natural and organic certified ingredients. I don’t compromise on those. I want to make sure that my clients get the best treatment their skin deserves. That’s why there’s a level of personalization in the business too.

What quote do you live by and why?

I don’t really have a single quote by which I live. Depending on the situation I may use the wisdom of others to guide me through it. For example, the other day, I realised that I kept finding myself reliving the same situation over and over again and I was getting angry with myself: “why am I not getting what I need?” and that made me think of a famous quote that says “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. And that made me laugh.

What advice can you give to female entrepreneurs on the same journey as you and want to achieve the same success?

Don’t forget about yourselves. We are so consumed with helping others, so focused on making our businesses thrive, trying to leave a legacy behind, but we often forget about our own needs. Even basic needs, like eating or going for a walk, or enjoying time with your family and friends. These are things that give us energy and without them, we can’t lead our businesses in a successful way.

We need that balance between work and private life.

Without these basic needs fulfilled, what’s the point of having a successful business?

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors, what makes you unique?

I follow the path that I believe in, I don’t copy others. I’m not afraid of being who I am and what I represent. Our products speak for themselves. We do keep an eye on what other brands are doing but our main focus is our clients and their needs.

GET IN TOUCH WITH VICTORIA WEB: www.naturalsbyyerbavita.com EMAIL: victoria@naturalsbyyerbavita.com naturals_by_yerba_vita PERSONAL PROFILE: Victoria Ratmanova PAGE: vitamanova COMMUNITY GROUP: confident in my skin www.womanentrepreneur.co | 17

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Woman Entrepreneur | Global

SUCCESS STORY

MARJA Katajisto-Eklund I

am a born and bred Finn, and with that comes the so called “sisu”, best defined as grit, which will indeed be put into good use as I am now an entrepreneur with a mission. I want you to see the unseen, I want to prove that there is beauty in everything and everyone, and I combine my talents of photography and writing to create something new for this world.

“Life-long learning”, that is what we people like to talk about. But to actually do that, it demands more than words. It demands actions. And thanks to such actions; actions which brought me out from the smoothly streaming flow of life. I now am finally doing things that I love and burn for.

You see, something was missing. My soul was protesting and demanded a change: more! I had to look myself in the mirror and REALLY see. Who am I actually? What do I WANT to do? Today I know…

I’m a writer. I’m an artist. I’m a photographer. I am also a great problem solver, I see problems as challenges and I’m passionate about finding the right, functional solutions. For years I used to work for others: as a receptionist, secretary, bookkeeper, office manager, Chief Marketing Officer…

Building and supporting other’s dreams. Running their errands.

Making their systems work. Long days, extended weeks, without hesitation. It was good training, coaching even. I know that I was a good worker. But at one point it all was only consuming, it did not give back any more. I realized I was derailed. Rowing my boat into the wrong direction. Something had to change, and it did.

“Two years” they said, but today, 10 years later, we still live in this blessed land of cheese, chocolate and clocks, Switzerland. This is my second home country, roots both in here but also in Finland.

The good years here, in Switzerland, freed me from my rat race, allowed me to discover my true essence. It took me half a lifetime to build up that understanding, wisdom and responsibility of my own life and potentials within it. We all have a mission in life. With my talents and persona in my toolbox for this journey, I’m finally learning to respect and value my true mission. I always loved to do these things, but failed to see the carrying life force in them: text writing and stories, documenting the amazing Life by photos. Now I am polishing those diamonds. I can honestly say that it feels good, although scary at the same time.

From an early age, I knew that though magical and amazingly beautiful in its own way, the northern hemisphere was not where I was destined to live forever. I knew it, because I love the sun and the salty winds of the seas. Most of my childhood I spent by the coastlines of Gulf of Bothnia – raw and ascetic beauty. But I yearn warmth; enough of the cold already! Thus, now as an independent, fresh entrepreneur and business owner, I’m free to work wherever I want! I love that! Finally, I am my own Boss! How fantastic!!

But very demanding too….

But of course, first and foremost, my biggest role and privilege in this life: I am a Mother. Blessed with two wonderful daughters. They both are amazing young adults by now. They are my most valuable and truest legacies to this world. I’m so very proud of them!

Image by Juliana Eklund

Tell us about some of your amazing achievements?

n

I know that you would want me to focus on my professional achievements, but in truth all such victories ALWAYS have their beginnings in one’s personal growth and risk taking. For that reason I will answer to your question by these four things:

I m a g e by D e n i s e

e Ack

rm

an

 I was a workaholic- I chose to make a drastic change and took 10 years off for the benefit of my family and my personal growth. I was at the top of my career and it was not easy to leave behind a career of 23 years, but doing this freed me from routines, deadlines and overpowering demands that had become self important.  Even a tougher decision was to jump out from that bliss and to return to moneymaking business! Strangely enough, my fear of public speaking was the trigger that eventually drove me out from my comfort zone. A strong, inborn feeling that demanded me to do something about a stupid fear like that. It led me to one morning in October 2016, when I signed up for coaching and speaking event by the JT Foxx Organization. Getting rid of the fear of public speaking (a limiting fear) has opened massive, huge doors for me. I consider that achievement life changing. Today, I am more confident to be myself in the public eye, and dare to be vulnerable if need be. Signing up for the coaching program to improve my personal growth was a very important investment decision.  My third amazing achievement is a result of the previous two: I started a business based on my talents. It includes many elements from the world that I before thought was not aligned with my abilities. How wrong I was! For example: my public speaking is improving as I go and to my utter surprise: I’m starting to love it! Investing in personal growth is the best investment one can do, and I am so very thankful for the boost of determination which pushed all of this forward!

An amazing group of coaches, supportive people and friends are in my network today and there is not a thing in the world that I could not do or try, because I have all the needed connections. It’s almost unbelievable what one right decision can lead up to.  A very good lesson I learned on this journey already is that, whatever you think are your weaknesses, are actually strengths in disguise. They are like dim diamonds, only waiting to be polished. Improvements will always bring joy!

What are your core business principals and values that you adhere to?

I love the power of one simple rule: First, be a good person. It brings everything else to the right place. We do business with people, they act and react based on their feelings. Yes, numbers and money matter, but money is ONLY the byproduct, the result from good and empathetic relationships. There are many good, positive words that go into lucrative and winning business concepts, but to choose some of those that need to be mentioned first: integrity, authenticity, honesty and respect. They are really good words, and when incorporated, one never has to regret having put them into good use.

What is your weakness and how do you compensate for this in business?

I have learned that we actually don’t have weaknesses, only un-trained talents or mistargeted focus. Realizing this has allowed me to be more understanding towards myself. Procrastination is not a positive habit, but I now see it as a process, I need time to reason and prepare subconsciously. I also work well “lastminute”, what would seem like “late” for someone, but it all comes together well in the end.

As an entrepreneur I am somewhat confronted with the challenge that I have with pricing and charging, especially. This is so funny, you are free to laugh, but as a “giver” I truly struggle with selling! It is a conflict with my personality! This, as an entrepreneur, is a blessing and a virtue as a human being. Somebody still needs to coach me well in this  And please remember the power of the wide and friendly smile. Not just momentarily on the lips, but the rich kind, that rises from the heart and wrinkles up the eyes too. The warm and embracing kind of smile. People love happiness, are moved by it and in fact many doors can be opened merely because of irresistible smiles.

What do you think is more important, motivation or execution and why?

Well, to me there is not one without the other; it is a cause-consequence chain.

If the motivation is strong and real, the execution will take place and evolve to the level that is required for reaching the target or the end product. Thus, both motivation AND execution are as important. They need to be clear and well reasoned, well built up and followed. It is easy to brainstorm and push an idea out, but if the people who do the hands-on part are not clear about the original motivation, there is a big risk that the very best results are not achieved. But of course, motivation is the seed for the whole execution.

What inspires and motivates you?

Good simple things in life inspire me. A sunset, sunny seafronts, powerful works of nature, a mug of fresh vanilla-coffee, dancing (!) smooth gelato, good training, people with interesting opinions and their ability to debate and have a chat without having the need to be right. And moreover, family, friends, good people, music and health… So many things. They are the origins and the base for everything else. Without them, there would not be any reasons for businesses to exist!

To me the biggest business motivation comes from my clients – also all those future clients. I actually started my business because there was a demand out there for my services. People loved my framing, quickly passing frozen moments and narratives that occasionally went with them. Yes, the inspiring feedback from the field is a great motivator for me.

But also just purely the creating of art – not too serious, a bit artsy, a free approach to the whole concept of photographing. I would like to quote my dear friend Dorothy in Arizona, who so beautifully described my way of working by 20 | MAY 2018

saying: “Part of your gifting is your genuineness of heart spirit, and how you view life through the lens of beauty, creativity, art - a lovely humbleness”. Can anyone ask for a better testimonial than this?

The power of words!! Thank you, kindly!

What has been your biggest fail to date? How did you overcome that and what did you learn?

As we know, there are no fails or mistakes. There are only life lessons, if we decide to see them as such. When something does not go the way we planned, there are two optional messages/teachings to be received: 1) “This is the wrong direction. Search a new way.” Or 2) “Don’t give up! Make the needed adjustments and try again!”

Of course the challenge is to know which of the messages one has to follow. I have learned to listen to the inner wisdom that we all have (the wisdom that in our subconscious weaves together all the threads and has a higher perspective).

Trial and error is natural and should be respected, because they represent drive and relentless hunger for success. Creative actions tend to bring things forward and sometimes even lead to break-through innovations!

I have a career that stretches over 20 years so of course I have had many, many lessons during that time. But perhaps the biggest of them has to do with stress. It is a devious little creature that settles to live in your body and causes all kinds of trouble, both work-related and health-related, but also in your private life in general. Stress is the beginning to all kinds of life-quality-lowering diseases because it brings down one’s immune system and should thus be avoided at all costs. To “hurry” and to “stress” are totally different things. The first-named creates a speedy, controlled flow into whatever needs to be done, the latter stems from disorder and time-management or delegation issues. Which leads to stress becoming the main-number itself with side-effects like mistakes, accidents, sickness, costly consequences because of hasted or bad decision making…. Stress is a devious and expensive un-wanted guest, best understood as a warning sign that shouts: “slow down, breathe, make adjustments, ask for help, see the bottlenecks, take action to improve!” Remember which things are valuable to you.

My advice is: bring calm and harmony to whatever you work with and you will discover work-related joy!

From your experience as a very successful and powerful woman, what is the best way to market your business or yourself?

I would like to think that “the best is still to come.” I spent more than 7 years as the Chief Marketing Officer in a big shopping center and it is absolutely clear to me that your clients are always your best marketeers. Very cost-effective and their social lives circle around the correct target group already, “like-minded friends”. To take good care of one’s existing clients is 7 times cheaper than trying to obtain new ones. Keeping the existing ones will always remain the number one method for me.

Social media in its whole width and flora comes of course as second. It is free and reaches to places where no other one media does. But like anything, it too can be used brutally against your business. It demands carefulness, planning and thought in the moment.

As a photographer I also have to remind everyone, that one photo says more than a thousand words. An old saying, but still absolutely true. A picture can be seen as a universal language and it is a quicker way to create associations in our visual minds. After all, we all make our final decisions most often based on feelings and emotions, that unexplainable “gut-feeling”…

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

What is the secret to your success?

Oh thank you for asking this, because I love to say this: daring to be me! Knowing, that my authenticity will attract to me the right kind of clientele. If they like what they see (me and my work) it will be a blast working together with them! Thus far this has worked like Swiss clockwork! - And now it is not a secret anymore!! ď Š

What quote do you live by and why?

Oh, there are many! And there will be many more to come! There is down-to-the-point life experiences in them.  You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.  Intense love does not measure, it just gives. (Mother Teresa)

As a storyteller I combine my writing skills with my photography to document and showcase you and your life’s important events.

 Luck is the matter of preparation meeting the opportunity. (Oprah)  Some people come into you life as blessings. Some come as lessons. (Mother Teresa)  Dance, like no one is watching.  It always seems impossible until it’s done. (Nelson Mandela)  Life is Love. Love is Life. (Originally from the Bible)  Elegance is always in fashion.  If you are sad, add more lipstick and attack. (Coco Chanel)  I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.

(Abraham Lincoln)

What advice can you give female entrepreneurs on the same journey who would like to achieve the same success as you?

A long topic, but let’s see...  Don’t compare yourself too much with others. It is not fair or even relevant. You are not them and they are not you. You are different machines. Our businesses become unique by what we are. Value your differences, because they are your unique selling points.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Although it would be great to be self-sufficient in every area, we just are not. Experienced people have a lot to give and a lot to teach, so that we don’t have to always learn the hard way. Coach yourself, but choose carefully, by whom.  Try to be one or two steps ahead in all business actions. Be prepared better than expected. Choose to overdeliver.  Enjoy the ride! Never forget that you are the force and generator of your business and your personal life. Take care of yourself, sharpen your “toolsâ€? or everything will start to wither.

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors? What makes you unique?

I am in a very competitive business. Competing with pricing is nothing to me, so I will stick to my own niche, which I already described earlier. In that way it will be my own persona and my artistic flavors and add-ons, which separate me from the competition. I want to create meaningful client relationships and I welcome projects from which I can learn more about our world and the life in it.

Image by Juliana Eklund

What is the one thing that you would want to change in this world if you could?

Oh, there is a lot of room for improvement in this world, but a very good place to start with would be the way of schooling our children, the new generations that inherit our world. To live responsibly in today’s climate has changed drastically, and I think a new look at the selection of subjects learned in schools would be a great service to the whole globe. Even practical everyday life skills seem to be a disappearing form of art.

We have to teach our children the skills that are really needed for a good life.

PERSONAL PROFILE Marja Katajisto-Eklund BUSINESS PAGE Marja K, @marjakphotosandinsights Marja.K_Photo

Marja Katajisto-Eklund

marja@marjak.me www.marjak.me www.womanentrepreneur.co | 21

Do you want to start a new business?

Do you have an existing business but want to 10x your profit?

Do you feel stuck in your current business?

Do your marketing and branding suck and you need assistance?

Erna Basson is the coach for you. She has started, grown and sold several businesses and is now helping entrepreneurs around the world to do the same.

ERNA’S LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE: Named South Africa’s Top Entrepreneur Under 30

by Fast Company Magazine in 2017 Featured on the cover of Fast Company Magazine in June 2017 Received the 2017 Global Female Entrepreneur award in Los Angeles Top 100 Most Influential Young South Africans 2017 Finalist at Africa’s most Influential Women in Business 2017 Completed a 4-year Bachelors Degree in 3 years with 18 distinctions AS SEEN IN:

Log your strategy call today with Erna

www.ernabasson.com 22 | MAY 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

Dr. Dorothy Guy Bonvillain

A Voice of Wisdom for Military Wives and the People Who Love Them

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 23

Dr. Dorothy Guy Bonvillain is a CEO, Author, Coach, and an International Speaker. A 47-year military spouse, Dorothy is the Creator of Warrior Wives Academy, an online training program designed to teach and inspire military wives how to become CEOs of their own lives and businesses. Her ultimate goal is to help women build lives of significance and create a lasting legacy.

Dr. Dorothy approaches each day with Brendan Burchard’s profound message in mind: Did I live?

Did I love?

Did I matter?

Dorothy holds extensive professional experience across a global spectrum:  Founder/CEO: Dr. Dorothy Guy Bonvillain LLC  Television Producer/Presenter: Access Tucson T V: “Military Wives: Serving Those Who Serve” (2015) and “Learning to Live on Purpose” (2013-2014).  Huffington Post Guest Blogger  Chief of Partnership – TRADOC Culture Center / ISC Consulting Group  Trainer and Curriculum Developer in Cultural Competency for General Dynamics  High School Principal – Nationally-recognized USFS Award for Project-Based Learning

 Presenter: American University, Intercultural Management Institute, Washington, DC; Women in Business, Cochise College; Sisters and Brothers in Arms, Fort Huachuca, Arizona.  Special Consultant to Minister of Education in the Sultanate of Oman: Leader & sole American on international research team.  Program Manager: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia & National Council on US-Arab Relations, Washington, DC.  Keynote Lecturer: Foreign Service Institute, Arlington, Virginia, for Government Personnel transitioning to live & work in the Middle East.

Her published work includes: Loving Your Life: 7 Steps for Military Wives – a practical handbook for military spouses/families; Wally Goes to School - a digital children’s leadership book for personal growth, ages 7-11; Traditional Handicrafts of Oman (English and Arabic); Doctoral Dissertation “Cultural Pluralism and the Americanization of Immigrants: The Role of Public Schools and Ethnic Communities, Baltimore 1880-1920”; several published articles in professional journals.

1)

Please share your amazing achievements with our readers.

 I successfully led an educational research team for the Ministry of Education throughout remote villages in the Sultanate of Oman. I was the only American on the team.  I completed my Ph.D. in Educational Administration and International Education at American University in Washington, DC when I was 53.  I have been a military wife for 48 years and am the mother of two awesome sons.  As a Leader and Principal, I created a hands-on projectbased learning program for a defective high school. Within five years our team alleviated the school to win a national award. This program continues to serve students in southern Arizona.  In my 60s, I left my comfort zone as a career educator and followed my dream to become a successful entrepreneur as a mentor and leadership expert. My areas of specialty include coaching, public speaking. I am trainer in transformational leadership, personal/professional development, intentional living, and cross-cultural competence.

2)

What are your core business principles and values you adhere to?

 Integrity  Adding value to others every day  A Learning Organization & Teamwork  Unwavering commitment to common goals

8)

What quote do you live by and why?

I have two: “Do something that scares you every day”

by Eleanor Roosevelt and, “Be kind whenever possible, and it’s always possible to be kind.”

I chose the quote by Eleanor Roosevelt because we cannot grow within our comfort zone. And the second quote because people are our most valuable resource. (The main reason people leave their job is because they do not feel valued.)

9)

What advice can you give female entrepreneurs on the same journey as you who want to achieve the same success?

Success will take longer than you expect. Fully commit to persevere, play full-on and never give up!

10)

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors? What makes you unique?

With age and global experience comes depth of wisdom! I have been a highly sought-after mentor and leadership expert for over forty years and have also honed the art of listening and asking questions.

11)

What makes you laugh? What makes you cry?

What makes your heart sing?

People make me laugh. I cry if someone in my family or a friend is hurt. My heart sings when I live life on purpose and create significance.

I love what my Mentor, John C. Maxwell says, “Once You have tasted significance, success will never be enough.”

 Respect, Dependability, and Results  OQP: Only Quality People!

3)

What is your weakness and how do you compensate for this in business?

I am predominantly right-brain and therefore ensure collaboration with left-brain partners.

4)

What do you think is more important, motivation or execution? Why?

Motivation. Without motivation, execution results will be less than stellar!

5)

What inspires and motivates you?

Creating a LEGACY, PASSION and Being INTENTIONAL about adding value to others every day.

6)

What has been your biggest fail to date? How did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?

My biggest failure was not becoming an entrepreneur earlier in life. I overcame it by ‘jumping out of the airplane’ in my 60s and growing my wings on the way down! I learned entrepreneurship is hard later in life, so just do it hard - It’s worth it! I’m committed to encouraging young women to choose the challenge of becoming an entrepreneur.

7)

From your experience as a very successful and powerful woman, what is the best way on how you can market your business or yourself?

Make it about the client. Find out what your client needs, then provide solutions to make their life better.

What is the secret to your success?

I am a visionary with a genuine love for people. Persistence and perseverance have brought me where I am today.

“Our current outcomes are the result of our best thinking so far; let’s raise the bar...

- Dr Dorothy Guy Bonvillian -

GET IN TOUCH WITH DR DOROTHY GUY BONVILLIAN EMAIL: dorothybonvillain@gmail.com WEB: DorothyBonvillain.com dorothyguybonvillain dorothybonvillain dorothybonvillain deardrdorothy.wordpress.com drbonvillain + dorothybonvillain 7 STEPS BOOK ON AMAZON.COM: https://amzn.to/2r2Tkoa www.womanentrepreneur.co | 25

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SUCCESS STORY

Florence B O U N T S M A N

Florence Bountsman is a real estate expert and investor and also a renowned business strategist.

Originally from France, she met her husband at a very young age when they both played chess at an international level (European and World Chess Championship). Florence is passionate about chess and their common interest was a great foundation for their relationship. She moved to Germany without being able to speak the language and she dedicated herself to the challenge.

1.

Tell us about some of your amazing achievements?

My husband and I have built six successful companies and own 19 real estate units in an exclusive part of Germany. We are constantly looking for opportunities to invest in so we can increase our capital. We are also investors in Cryptocurrency and one of our highly successful financial achievements is investing in a bank terminal in Dubai.

We pride ourselves in a business network we started called Intelligent Millionaires Network Stuttgart, IMN Stuttgart. It is an exclusive network for entrepreneurs and individuals who want to be more successful in life. We are really passionate about creating new projects relative to real estate.

One of our current projects is building cities and more information about this will be available in the near future. It is a huge project and we are really excited about it.

I would not have been able to achieve any of these successes without the support of my loving husband with whom I have 3 amazing kids.

2.

What are your core business principles and values you adhere to?

I think that, in a world where most people don’t pay attention to values, to have strong values is extremely important. One of the values I share and reflect on my children is to be fair, honest and always ask what you want in life. Only by practicing these values, you can help other people to become more successful and this is exactly what my husband and I do when helping our clients. I feel that we should have fun in business and if you aren’t enjoying the process, don’t do it. Another value I really feel strong about is to put my clients first. If my client is happy, I am also happy. Everything that we do, we do with integrity and only in the lines of our values.

3.

What is your weakness and how do you compensate for this in business?

It is really important to become aware of your weaknesses. I became aware of my weaknesses with the help of my three amazing coaches, JT Foxx, Silvija Popovic and Julia Bock. With the help of my coaches I realized I needed to pay more attention to branding and marketing and that is why I am extremely excited about being featured in Woman Entrepreneur Magazine.

Florence and her husband, Dmitri, are real estate investors and experts. In addition, she is a business strategist and he is software architect and developer.

4.

What is more important to you, motivation or execution? Why?

Execution is really important. There are people who are motivated, but they will never take action. One of my life principles is “learning by doing”. We can all read books and be motived for years and still not take action. My husband and I started in real estate without any knowledge of the industry.

After we became aware of how important investing in both personal and business development is, we moved on to the next level. I consider motivation and execution equally important in collaboration, but taking action is the important first step.

5.

What inspires and motivates you? What makes you get up every morning, get the work done and do it all again the next day?

What motivates me is the feeling that I am helping my family, especially my children, to have a better quality of life. Above that, I am really excited to wake up every day knowing that there are families also searching for a better quality of life and also want to put their kids in best schools. I truly believe that they deserve that. I love meeting new people, new possibilities and creating new businesses. This provides me with daily challenges and opportunities. I am always looking for ways to improve myself and love learning new things. I am very excited about a major challenge coming up in November where I will be speaking on stage with celebrities in front of 2500 people!

Florence and Dmitri with executive vice president and senior counsel of the Trump Organization, George Ross.

6. that?

What has been your biggest fail to date and how did you overcome that and what did you learn from

One of my biggest failures is not being aware of how important it is to delegate. In the past, I gave some tasks to companies that did not deliver up to the standard I expected. This caused me to not assign any further projects to other companies. But once I realized that I could have grown so much more in a shorter period only by delegating my less favorable tasks, I would have been even more successful than I am today.

Now that I am aware of this, I accept assistance from other people, I have valuable employees and trusted business partners and things are really working out well for me. I consider my biggest failure the fact that I tried to do everything myself. We all need assistance from other people and this is a priceless lesson I learned in life.

28 | MAY 2018

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak with Florence and Dmitri.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

7.

From your experience, what is the best way on how you can market your business or yourself?

There are different aspects a person needs to become aware of in order to have a successful business. I found what helped me most is the power of branding, marketing and connecting with other highly successful people. One of the main things that really helped me in my business was connecting with people more successful than myself. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Mel Gibson, John Travolta, George Ross and Steve Wozniak, to name but a few, through my coach, JT Foxx. This helped me a lot to boost my business on an international level.

Procrastination is one of the biggest enemies of success.”

8.

What is the secret to your success?

You need to push yourself, even when you want to give up, and not to resign or tell yourself I can’t.

Everything is possible, even when things are not going easily. You need to fight in order to achieve what you want. If you give up you will not have the life you want. Don’t give up, always push and be perseverant!

9.

What quote do you live by and why?

There are so many amazing motivational quotes that I love, but for this opportunity I took two: The first one is: “Don’t think too much, just take action.” Procrastination is one of the biggest enemies of success.

The second one is: “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.” If you are afraid to ask something from somebody, you will get nothing. If you go and ask, the chances to obtain what you want are higher.

10.

What advice can you give fellow entrepreneurs on the same journey wanting to achieve the same success as you?

My advice to all the female entrepreneurs who are reading this: you have to believe in yourself and really become aware of not being afraid of making mistakes. There are no limits in life, you have to think big.

11.

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors, what makes you unique?

What I have found in the years of investing in the German market, especially in Stuttgart, is when everybody says it is impossible to find good deals. I can tell you that all the deals my husband and I found so far, are very profitable and people were amazed how we found them. To clarify this statement: they said it was impossible to find deals like we did in the German market.

What also makes me different is that every project I have started so far is profitable and we are constantly growing and expanding. A lot of people with successful companies are expanding by having balance in their family life. I can say with honesty that we are a happy family and that parenting three kids with my husband and finding “impossible” deals, are possible for us. That is why we are also attracting investors with whom we are now building cities around Stuttgart.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage like-minded entrepreneurs reading this to join our network. Together we can grow and celebrate each other’s successes and achievements. We can assure you that the German market is one of the most stable markets in the world. You are invited to contact me and find out about exciting opportunities where we can collaborate and create stronger business relationships. It would be an honor to see you in our IMN club in Stuttgart!

GET IN TOUCH WITH FLORENCE BOUNTSMAN Florence Bountsman, Real Estate Investor and Expert, Business Strategist, Owner of IMN Stuttgart (Intelligent Millionaires Network) CEO and Founder: Florence Bountsman Dmitri Bountsman GbR Bountsman Dmitri & Florence (IMN Stuttgart) GbR Bountsman Dmitri & Florence (Real Estates) Immobount GmbH (Real Estates) Immo Synergies Holding GmbH (with partners) EMAIL fbountsman@bountsman.com WEB www.imnstuttgart.com FACEBOOK florence.bountsman | IMNStuttgart INSTAGRAM fbountsman LINKEDIN florence-bountsman XING Florence_Bountsman www.womanentrepreneur.co | 29

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SUCCESS STORY

SOFIA NO R D G R E N

image by Jini Sofia Lee

Sofia Nordgren advices and guides business owners, CEOs and employees to a healthy perspective. And it is all about the health.

She has created a system that increases wellbeing, productivity and profit. With 20 years of experience as a healthcare consultant, she has the medical knowledge that is needed to change work environments with health in mind. She is the CEO and owner of Lifestyle+ and speaks on stages around the world about why and how to increase physical and mental health in work environments.

us a bit of background about 1| Give yourself.

I am a business leader, international speaker and business coach who advise and guide CEOs, employees and entrepreneurs on how to increase their productivity and profit through a unique method.

Many businesses and people are losing money, time and individual potential by neglecting their own or the employees physical and mental health. My job is to help them clog those leaking holes for good.

Benefits from my method are reduced sick-leave, time savings, sustainable health among workforce and individual managers, improved customer satisfaction, increased engagement and productivity.

My background is in medicine and I started out as a nurse. I have been a consultant in the healthcare business for over 20 years. Through this I have gotten insights from hundreds of work environments and have experienced firsthand knowledge how lacking routines, stress, unstructured systems and failing communication affect the employees and the work environment. The result is often the same, increased absence due to sickness, low motivation and absenteeism, and of course this has a direct effect on the business that is being run by these people.

Some facts: In Sweden, costs related to absenteeism from work due to sick-leave amounts to a staggering 5 billion dollars per year. During the last six years this number has doubled and experts are talking about risks that this number is increasing. In America, some 80 percent of employees are experiencing a stressful situation at work and 40 percent are experiencing severe levels of stress.

When I realized that this bad circle was status quo in so many companies, I decided I had to create simple but effective methods that focused on the people’s physical and mental health in the work environment.

These methods would in affect increase performance and create a working environment that help CEOs and their employees to reach their full potential and generate better results – all by attending to their health. The method is delivered through talks, workshops, individual coaching and online training.

2|

Please share your amazing achievements with our readers.

I have held workshops, speeches and lectures for numerous companies, both internationally and in Sweden, where I live. When I coach and teach, I use a 15 step-method that I have created myself.

My method has been proven to work and I apply a mixture of both theory and interactive procddures.

I have been interviewed at the Miss World Pageant in Sweden about inner health and beauty, and recently published features in Huffington Post and Spotlight Magazine. I am a professional comedian and frequently do standup shows in Sweden. I have even held an art exhibition in Florence, Italy.

I have attended lectures with Steve Wosniak and Randi Zuckerberg and other high-profile speakers and coaches around advanced ways to leverage social media in marketing and other topics of interest for me as a business coach.

And I am always exited to tell people that a have met and spoken with both John Travolta and 50 Cent.

core business principles and 3| What values do you adhere to?

Lead by example My philosophy is that I need to walk the walk in order to talk the talk. That means that I apply the methods I teach my clients in my own life and business. A part of that is constantly balancing work and free time. I make sure to take time to care for myself and surround myself with business connections and friends that have a healthy approach to their lives and businesses.

32 | MAY 2018

Be up to date As a coach I need to be on top of things, and that means keeping myself updated through my own coaches and investing in education and workshops. This benefits both me and my clients.

Have a healthy, motivated and passionate approach I think this is fundamental to get a sustainable result in my own business and in my clients’ businesses. The people I work with have to understand that they have to do the work and apply these different methods into their own business. So, I need to inspire and enlighten people on a basic level at the same time as I give them the whole picture, including the uncomfortable details that will cut the fog and reach the results they want to achieve.

I always need to have this approach, and if my clients are able to have it, they will benefit from this approach in the long run.

is your weakness and how 4| What do you compensate for this in business?

For a long time, it was my belief that I could do pretty much everything in my business. I knew that I was better at certain areas than others, but did not understand how much energy I was wasting on doing things that other people were experts on.

Today I delegate within my team or hire an expert within that area.

I have also incorporated this mentality into the methods I use when coaching. It is better to let the expert deliver the results within that expertise. You would be surprised by how many CEOs don’t realize how much potential is being wasted by them doing things they should delegate. I say, leave it to the expert.

do you think is more 5| What important, motivation or execution?

Why?

I think it is important to have motivation and, at the same time, visualize what you want to achieve. Take the person who just decided to start working out, for example. At first you are all motivated, but pretty fast you quit due to lack of motivation. Instead, having motivation to drive towards the final goal, the end result, is what will keep you going. This is what works for me.

This has also made me see that when I think I feel beaten down, there will always come a second chance to succeed. You don’t know how and when, but it will come. I always try to stay strong and confident and learn from my mistakes.

your experience, what is the 8| From best way on how you can market your business or yourself?

I market my business by being authentic and passionate on social media platforms, in the articles about me, in radio interviews etc. If me and the person helping me with marketing functions better than well on a personal level, it is more likely they will deliver greater results and value for my business.

Being professionally confident and genuine, will shine through today’s media landscape full of offers and messages.

Share your knowledge on different platforms and differentiate yourself. In my case, one of the things I do is to incorporate standup comedy in my speeches and workshops. I deliver messages and unlock heavy thoughts through a moment of jokes. I wake people up. In a way, what I am saying is to stay true to who you are, and that will attract businesses and people.

If you learn how to navigate your marketing on social media platforms and understand that marketing today is a lot about likeability and authenticity, you will do just fine!

“Don’t be afraid of trial and error - there are no failures, just different learnings towards your success. advice can you give fellow 9| What entrepreneurs on the same journey who want to achieve the same success that you achieved?

 

6|

What inspires and motivates you?

I want to give people the tools to be genuinely happy and healthy. I love to push them to find new ways and new opportunities. I love to inspire, give advice and unblock hidden obstacles within people.

I love to see the success I have helped to create in a workplace or in someone’s personal life.

The truth is that most of us see the inside of our workplace more than in our own home. This is why I feel that I can really make a difference when I teach from the top-down. With top-down I mean starting with the CEO. The corporate culture comes from the top, and the CEOs are in the position to affect the everyday life and environment for so many people.

This is what motivates me.

has been your biggest fail to 7| What date and how did you overcome

that and what did you learn from that?

I am a trusting person who is forward and daring, and I am an action taker who love to expand my comfort zone. I used to be very impatient and wanted things to happen fast. These characteristics have, in the past, lead me to difficult business deals and made me trust the wrong coach or education.

I have learned the hard way to always take a step back, have a second look and not haste into making a decision when thinking about getting into anything new. I evaluate, just to make sure this is the best for me and my business.

     

Hire a coach or mentor – it will do wonders for your business and mentality.

Know when you should hire an expert in any business area.

Be open and willing to learn and invest in yourself.

Surround yourself with good business people and build good relationships.

Dare to challenge your fears.

Be authentic and grateful.

Give and receive – reciprocity is important too!

If you face a challenge, think differently and find another way around the problem. There is always a way.

10|

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors and what makes you unique?

What really differentiates me and my methods is that I have a medical background that I have combined with Eastern and Western methods and knowledge. When I coach, I do it based on a holistic view on health. I don’t divide physical health and mental health, which we often do in Europe. I help companies and entrepreneurs to get sustainable results. I use comedy and standup to reach people, and I find that this approach is underestimated. It opens people’s minds and loosens them up.

When I coach a CEO an entrepreneur or an employee, I give the whole picture and help them understand it.

I don’t just tell them what to do, but I also incorporate these practices in the process based on both theory and through the interactive exercises I use. Just the fact that I use comedy and dance to loosen up their minds and bodies is unique in itself.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

image by Dan NorrĂĽ

image by Milla Kuhto

image by Milla Kuhto

GET IN TOUC H WI T H SO FI A N O R D G R EN WEB www.sofianordgren.com E-MAIL: sofia@sofianordgren.com bit.ly/2HxOBWF bit.ly/2jcWpPg sofia.nordgren Youtube: bit.ly/2HEq0M0 sofianunordgren www.womanentrepreneur.co | 33

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SUCCESS STORY

sabine

Z E T T L 55-year-old Sabine Zettl is from Germany and the single mother of 3 children – one studying in London, one in Vienna, and her youngest daughter has aspirations to attend a drama school in New York to become an actress.

Sabine studied European Secretary and soon realized this was not a career she wished to pursue. Early in her life she discovered her passion in the sales and fashion industries. At the young age of 25 she entered the fashion market and has been working in the fashion trade ever since. Sabine held several sales distribution positions within big companies, like Escada. At a later stage she took a break from her corporate career to raise her three children. She lived in several countries, including Mexico, The United States, Austria and Germany. Her career options were very limited and thus she decided to start her own, very successful business in the fashion and jewelry merchandising, exporting to the US and Europe.

As she became more familiar with the industry, Sabine developed an intuitive eye for dress sense and the impact it has on your results and successes, both in the business world and in your private life. In 2017 she found her niche and started her thriving business, Sabine Zettl, Style and Image Consultant and International Speaker.

1| Give us a bit of background about yourself?

I assist individuals to transform their physical appearance for every occasion, in both their career and in private life. I provide my clients with the knowledge to better their personal image and become more presentable to make a lasting impression.

I believe that improving your appearance promotes more positive results on all levels.

us about some of your amazing 2| Tell achievements?

My biggest achievement is my ability to be resilient and push myself to work harder every time. The challenge of raising three children while pursuing a successful career in various countries across the globe is also an accomplishment not to be undermined. In the beginning of my career I was entrusted with selling to prominent fashion retailers, initially only within the German market, but soon to international fashion establishments too.

Now, running my own style and image consultancy business, I am happy to see my clients’ elevated self-confidence when finding their unique million-dollar look. My latest achievement is speaking on stage and creating awareness of how you show up matters. Feel free to follow and interact with the hashtag: #howyoushowupmatters

are your core business principles and 3| What values that you will not change or give in to?

My absolute main core business principle is applying my expertise when helping my clients improve their personal image. I often overdeliver by putting in more time and effort when providing them with expert advice and guidance.

is your weakness and how do you 4| What compensate for this in business?

I sometimes find myself trying to do too many things at the same time and then feel I can’t deliver the quality I strive for.

So, I try to stay focused and not work on too many projects at the same time and rather perfect them than feeling I did not achieve my full potential. I have a business coach that keeps me on track with this weakness!

do you think is more important, 5| What motivation or execution and why?

Clearly execution. You can be motivated and still not be able to get it done. Being motivated helps for daily execution, but execution is my number one priority.

inspires and motivates you? Basically, 6| What why do you wake up every morning, get the work done and do it all over again the next day?

I have a clear vision of the person I want to become along the way, on the inside as well as on the outside. My motivation is

has been your biggest fail to date and 7| What how did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?

My biggest fail was to be disconcerted with the idea that I was too old to start over. I felt my talent and knowledge were not good enough and that I didn’t know how to market myself. I spent way too much time being absorbed by this negative mindset. I decided to invest in myself by getting a business coach to help me overcome this obstacle and I soon found myself confident enough to embark on my journey as a successful fashion consultant.

your experience as a very successful 8| From and powerful woman, what is the best way to market your business or yourself?

If nobody is aware of what you do and what your knowledgeable skill is, all your effort and expertise will not be of value to anyone at all. Find clarity in what it is you do exactly and what the message is that you would like to portray to your potential customers. Then go out into the world and spread your message by creating a trustworthy brand, attending networking events and putting together reputable social media strategies. By doing this, you will soon reap the benefits of your hard work and become an authority in your field.

9| What is the secret to your success?

Commitment. Focus. Selfbelief. The willingness to go the extra mile and also creating the perfect balance between work and personal life. I often need to reconnect with nature and just become still in order to clear my mind and refill my energies.

10| What quote do you live by?

There are many quotes I like a lot, but my favorite is by Oprah Winfrey: “You will find true success and happiness if you have only one goal. There really is only one, and that is this: To fulfill the highest, most truthful expression of yourself as a human being.

You want to max out your humanity by using your energy to lift yourself up, your family, and the people around you.”

advice can you give fellow female 11| What entrepreneurs on the same journey who want to achieve the same success as you?

Don’t do it alone! Get yourself a coach you resonate with. Be coachable and implement. Secondly, surround yourself with already successful business women who radiate a positive energy.

do you differentiate yourself from your 12| How competitors and what makes you unique?

It takes extensive experience and a special talent to immediately see the diamond each person can be and to immediately know how to best polish that diamond in order to shine its brightest. I am truly thankful for this gift and use this to help individuals to find their personal style.

appearance available to as many people as possible and to

13| How can you help empower other women?

help them show up as the best version of themselves.

Just be a role model other females are inspired by!

to make my expert understanding of each individual’s perfect

36 | MAY 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

“My motivation is to make my expert understanding of each individual’s perfect appearance available to as many people as possible and to help them show up as the best version of themselves.

GET IN TOUCH WITH SABINE ZETTL WEB www.sabinezettl.com

INSTAGRAM sabine_zettl

LINKEDIN sabine-zettl-075806b

FACEBOOK ZettlSabine

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 37

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Josée Larocque-Patton assists organizations to develop their people and train their leaders. She guides leaders when their employees are not following procedures and policies and act as a consultant when organizations experience legislative infractions.

FOR ANY OTHER BEST PRACTICE TIPS OR QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO CONTACT JOSÉE LAROCQUE-PATTON Josée Larocque-Patton | Founder and CEO of The HR ICU www.thehricu.com | email josee@thehricu.com 38 | MAY 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

SECRET HAPPY WORK ENVIRONMENT THE

TO SETTING UP A Josée Larocque-Patton

Ove r t h e yea r s I h ave fre q u e n t l y h ea rd l ea der s a nd m a na g er s m a k i ng co m m ents about how o b tainin g sal es, red u c i n g co sts a n d g a i n i ng new c l ients a re th e m a in pr io r iti es fo r a ny com pany.

Since we a re a t i m e d e f i c i e n t s o c i et y, i t i s ver y ea s y to g et ca ug h t up i n th e da y -to -da y tasks an d fo rget a bou t t h e m o st val u a b l e a s s et a ny o rg a nizati o n h a s … th ei r em pl oy ees .

So why should an e m p l oyer be co n ce rn e d a n d pl a ce fo c us o n a n em pl oy ee’s h a ppines s i n th e workplace?

Let ’s lo ok at t h e Vi rg i n G ro u p o f co m pa n i es a nd th e v is i o n Si r Ric h a rd B ra ns o n h a s c reated. Virg in is a wellknown gl obal en ter pri s e t h at , w i t h o u t a s h a dow o f a do ubt, bel i eves em pl oy ees a re th ei r m ost valuable as s et . T h ey p ra ct i ce w h at t h ey prea c h a n d th ey k now th eir uniq ue s el l i ng propo s iti o n a s a n em ployer is how they t reat t h ei r e m pl oy ees . B a s e d o n w h at I rea d a nd h ea r a bo ut th em , i t h a s al wa y s been a com pany I as p ire to wor k for o r pa r t n e r w i t h i n m y l i fetim e. I a m co nfident I a m no t th e o nl y o ne th at fee ls this way.

Whe n a bra n d ca n h ave s u c h a n i m pa c t o n s om eo ne, w i th o ut a c tual l y being pa r t o f i t fir sth a nd, is how you know you h ave fou nd a n d c reate d yo u r “ s e c ret s a uce” . As Sir Ric h a rd B ra ns o n s a y s “ Cl i ents do n ot come first . Em p l oyees com e f i r st . I f yo u ta ke ca re o f yo ur em pl oy ees, th ey w i l l ta ke ca re o f th e c l ients.”

HOW CAN YOU CULTIVATE A HAPPY WORK ENVIRONMENT? Hi r i n g

Follow t h e Law

Ensuring you have proper hiring practices and promoting an honest and authentic work environment. Focusing on people who will build and be brand ambassadors to your vision and company, as people want to have a sense of belonging and understand how they are part of the bigger picture. For additional info refer to our April issue article on Top Tips for Hiring.

Educate yourself and your staff on all workplace laws. For example, pay equity, hours of work, breaks, leaves of absences, health and safety, anti-harassment and violence laws etc. Host committees who can help stay abreast of changes and ensure every employee is receiving and promoting a fair and equitable workplace.

R ewa rd an d Recog nit ion

Follow U p an d Follow T h roug h

This is more than just saying thank you. It’s about showing your employees you care about them. It does not need to cost you money because giving appreciation that is honest and specific can be much more powerful than buying someone pizza or a coffee.

Keep in mind some employees prefer one-on-one feedback and others are happy to receive public recognition. Tailor your recognition to suit the employee and don’t forget about additional benefits and perks.

M ento r an d D eve lop Set up a program to help your employees set and achieve career goals, perhaps tie it into a succession planning program. Allow employees to try different roles. Foster an open environment by asking questions and not solely giving orders. It is very gratifying knowing you are working towards something, especially when you have a mentor who can be there to guide and coach you along the way.

Go beyond what is written on a job description and have regular monthly or quarterly performance updates with employees.

Encourage two way conversations by providing constructive feedback and asking for constructive feedback in return. Discuss not only required tasks that need to be done, but also the culture and vision each employee brings to the team and brand .Be specific with expectations, and follow up. When employees have questions or need your help and guidance, be there for them.

Be Vuln era ble Vulnerability builds trust and loyalty. Do not be afraid to be vulnerable, it’s ok if you do not know everything, nor are you expected to know everything. Every manager and employee should feel comfortable being themselves, learning from mistakes and taking ownership and accountability for their own actions.

It is statistically proven that a happy workplace increases: productivity, creativity, motivation, as employees learn faster and make better business decisions which increases the bottom line. A happy workplace also reduces anxiety, employees worry and complain less and make fewer mistakes which reduces costs (take fewer sick days).

Another company that practices what they preach that I have been fortunate enough to have worked for is Disney. Disney is known for being “the happiest place on earth” for a reason. It starts with their hiring practices, then their on-boarding programs to the wonderful perks and recognition they offer and, more important, the feeling of knowing you are part of something that focuses on creating the best entertainment experience for clients. As Walt Disney believes: “You can design, create and build the most wonderful place in the world but it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

You too can build your brand like Virgin and Disney, just remember: your “secret sauce” is your employees. www.womanentrepreneur.co | 39

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FEATURED EDITORIAL

Be inspired by Suham’s journey as a well-respected dentist Image by Valerie Keeler Photography

who sold her thriving and profitable practice at her prime!

B

efore my training as a dentist, I graduated from the University of Ottawa with a B.Sc.(Honours) in microbiology (Magna cum laude) and went on to pursue an M.Sc. at Queen’s University for 2 years. It became clear to me that, with my background in sciences, a profession in the healthcare field would be a natural fit especially as I really enjoy working with people. After considering my options, I applied to dental school and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1996.

Hungry for a different experience, I decided to do an extra year of training at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. This was definitely an eye-opening experience in a multitude of ways – a different health care system from Canada in a much bigger city with a different culture to some extent. Because I worked in a hospital setting as well as a private practice, I learned that health care professionals must be in tune with the delicate balance between patient care and business. This was also my first exposure to the insurance industry and bureaucracy in health care.

After returning from the U.S., I associated with various practices where I had the opportunity to work in investor-owned, family-owned and sole practitioner private practices. Each model has its own nuances, strengths, and weaknesses, but it gave me the chance to experience each one without any personal risk. In 2004, when my husband and I purchased an existing practice, I drew on my earlier experiences to make our business a success for our patients, our team and ourselves.

Simultaneously, I was also fortunate enough to be able to teach and mentor assisting and hygiene students at a community college level.

The experience of laying the framework and teaching the college’s first practice management course for hygiene students was extremely valuable and rewarding on several levels.

Although I had many years of practical business experience, I decided to return to the University of Ottawa to obtain my MBA. Over the years I realized that, while clinical work was interesting and patient interactions enjoyable, I craved the excitement of running the business and seeing it grow. I wanted to expand my knowledge base and through my particular program, I increased my network of friends and colleagues and gained valuable consulting experience. In addition, by taking a clinical sabbatical from my practice, I worked and contributed to the improvement of operating room efficiency at a large academic hospital in Ottawa.

Through the ownership and personal investment in my own private practice, I have developed various skills, systems, and tools that have been integral to its success and growth over the past 13 years. Along with these essential abilities and certification as a coaching practitioner, I look forward to helping my current and future clients achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.

1)

3)

This is such an important question because selling your labour of love is not an easy decision to make. It takes a lot of soul-searching and reflection. I think the most important first step is to understand why you are considering its sale. Does it really make sense in the end – are you frustrated by some processes or are you really ready to move on?

I wish there was a “secret sauce”! The recipe is a lot of hard work.

As business owners, we have to realize that every day can be a different day when you work with people. Every person has his or her own pressures and personal situations which influence behaviour and attitudes. To have all these personalities work in synchrony is amazing and requires everyone’s effort.

If you are ready to sell, then make sure you assess the business and determine if it will be attractive to potential buyers. Are there any investments that you can or should make to enhance its value that will yield a good return-on-investment before the sale?

I talk about vision a lot. I really believe if you have one that is clear and your values and goals are well-communicated, it is much easier to build a great company culture. This will also guide who you hire as your team members as they will be aligned with your values. It’s not easy to teach values, so hire high-quality employees based on them.

When it comes to selling your business, what is the best advice you can give to people who want to sell their business?

Doing your research to assess the marketplace is equally important and, if possible, have your business appraised. This will help you understand the value of your business. You must align your expectations of value with what the industry or economy will tolerate.

Be prepared to have a post-sale game plan. After running a business for so long, it is easy to feel lost once it’s been sold. It’s important to have something to look forward to afterwards. But, before you move on to something new, allow yourself the mental and physical time to rest, recuperate and refresh yourself as the transition out of ownership can take a toll on you.

2)

You are an extremely successful businesswoman and dentist. Did your initial vision for your company stay the same or did it change over time?

To be honest, at the outset, when we first purchased our practice, it was survival mode and not much thought went into a vision. I guess the vision was getting out of the red! The entire focus was balancing the clinical care we provided to our clients with running the business – employee turnover, debt repayment. It was really about sustainability.

Once the practice became more stable, the vision was to grow as the philosophy has always been that, if it wasn’t growing it was slowly dying.

As first-time parents with a very young child, growth goals were more conservative as my focus was divided.

After I completed my MBA, however, my attitude and aspirations were very different. I wanted to push our limits. I knew we had so much potential and we had the perfect team to help us reach our potential so we set BIG stretch goals for aggressive growth and achieved them.

42 | MAY 2018

You had a thriving dental practice with many employees. What is your secret to working with staff and keeping a joyful and uplifted spirit in the business?

Empowering team members to help guide decisions and implement ideas that are also aligned with the overall vision is extremely important.

This demonstrates to your team members that you value and trust them and they, in turn, value their own contributions to your business. However, it is also important to set them up for success by having regular touch points, implementing systems for accountability and having well-defined roles and responsibilities.

Although we spend a lot of time in close quarters at work, it’s important to have time to unwind and have fun as a team also. Most importantly, remind yourself regularly to be grateful and appreciate your team because you didn’t create something great on your own!

4)

What is your purpose in life?

My purpose in life really revolves around three areas – health and well-being, family and business. First and foremost, I strive to lead a healthy, balanced life so I can be there for my family, friends, and clients. A large part of my well-being involves my desire to give back to others who are less fortunate or even, just misunderstood through contributions of time, money and/or expertise.

From a family perspective, I am here to be a mentor and role model for my children to help them achieve their own BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals) with skills, grit and a good mindset. I want my children to know that women are strong, powerful and independent and we contribute both inside and outside of the home in meaningful ways.

From a business standpoint, my purpose is to help other entrepreneurs build the necessary confidence and skills to achieve their own ambitions.

I am continually inspired and humbled by the passion and creativity of these individuals and love to help them channel their energies to achieve their ultimate visions.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

“After running a business for so long, it is easy to feel lost once it’s been sold. It’s important to have something to look forward to afterwards.

But, before you move on to something new, allow yourself the mental and physical time to rest, recuperate and refresh yourself as the transition out of ownership can take a toll on you.

Image by Julie C. Butler www.womanentrepreneur.co | 43

5)

What motivates you?

My number one motivating factor is my family and being a good role model for my children.

6)

What were 3 of your biggest failures? What did you learn from them and what did you implement to ensure they weren’t repeated? #1 – Not understanding the value of employee perspectives within the business.

When you have invested so much time, money and energy in the business, you often feel as though you have all the answers since you are literally eating, sleeping and breathing your business 24/7. It’s easy to think that no one else in your organization “gets it”, but this isn’t true. This is when you see issues arise like employee turnover or disengaged staff who come to work and clock in and clock out, but don’t go the extra mile for you or the company.

To resolve this issue, regular staff meetings were implemented where ideas and input were solicited from the team. The team was also empowered to make decisions and given parameters to work within.

The result was a more cohesive and engaged staff. #2 – Inconsistent marketing efforts.

It’s so easy to become comfortable when you are seeing growth.

Unfortunately, we fell into this trap and marketed our business very inconsistently for a period of time. As a result, we grew but slowly.

Many business owners feel that an increase in revenue depends on decreasing expenditures. While this is true to a certain extent, increase in revenue depends also on an influx of new clients.

Once we had clearly outlined our short- and long-term goals, marketing was a no-brainer. We budgeted a certain percentage each year for marketing and were consistent each quarter. We also tracked our marketing efforts to see where our ROIs were and if we weren’t seeing an ROI, we discontinued the strategies that weren’t working for us. We knew the value we received for the dollars spent on marketing. #3 – Being scared to change.

Life and business are not static – they are both dynamic. Nothing stays the same forever but, we stuck to procedures, processes, and systems we knew and were comfortable with because it made everyone nervous to think about trying or doing things differently.

However, massive growth in the business only happens if you are willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone and take calculated risks.

Once the new growth trajectory was determined for the business, change was inevitable and there was no turning back. So, change was embraced and plans, preparation and new skills and systems were learned and acquired. SMART goals were set, accountability measures were introduced as well as feedback loops to continuously monitor and measure progress. The processes were refined as required to make the change easier to deal with and implement.

7)

As a successful businesswoman, how do you gain more clients?

I can’t stress enough the importance of both internal and external marketing which is the best way to attract new clients! Beyond this, seeking out networking opportunities where you can meet and expand your circle of business associates and potential new clients is also essential.

The consistency of a good customer experience is extremely important as it reinforces to your clients the quality of service you and your team provide. Customer experience leads to internal referrals through wordof-mouth marketing which is priceless and your good clients will refer their like-minded friends and family. Ultimately, brand loyalty increases in both your clients as well as your team members. Everyone wants to be part of something they are proud of.

Another key to success in seeing your client base grow is community service, especially as it relates to your company or industry. Although the driving force for philanthropy or giving back to one’s community is altruistic and personal in nature, I believe that it comes back to you in one way, shape or another in the end.

44 | MAY 2018

8)

What is the importance of having a business coach?

A business coach is essential if you really want to grow, personally and professionally. A good coach will help you identify what your ultimate goals are if you haven’t clearly defined them and will encourage you to venture out of your little well-defined box. It’s important for you to have this unbiased perspective as it gives you a bit of a reality check and keeps you accountable to your own desires and goals. If you really want to accelerate your company’s growth, this is an important piece of the puzzle.

Because you have frequent touch points with a business coach, it may help you pinpoint issues that may be holding you back from achieving your company’s goals. In addition, it is more than likely that through your coach, you may have access to other business owners and have the opportunity to expand your network.

9)

What favorite quote do you live by and why?

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill I love this quote because it grounds me and reminds me that life isn’t just about me. The world is a community that we are all a part of and that we are all responsible for. Whether we give of ourselves in time, expertise or money, we can only exist happily if our community thrives.

It is extremely important that I try to live by this so that my children learn that they don’t live in isolation, but rather that there are others around them that may be less fortunate. It’s important for them to see the value in uplifting others, however and whenever possible. We reap rewards when we help others – it’s such an indescribable feeling!

10)

Being a mom, wife & successful businesswoman, what is your secret to time management and how do you balance your life?

Well, life balance is still a somewhat elusive concept for me to be honest – sometimes the scale is tipped more in one direction than another. My most important tools for time management when it comes to work-life balance is ensuring everything is put on the calendar. I’m notorious for sending my husband calendar invites for anything that affects our nonwork hours so we aren’t double-booked and can determine logistics for our family.

When it comes to work, I set aside time each Sunday for my “mental clearinghouse” task. Basically, this involves categorizing my priorities for the week so I know what needs to be accomplished. Anything that doesn’t make the cut doesn’t get my attention. Of course, from time to time things arise that have to be put on the list but, this isn’t the norm.

I also designate time each day for my “productivity burst”. This is usually a 90 to 120-minute session early in the morning where I concentrate on work that needs my full attention without distraction. I work best in the morning so I use a 4 to 6 am block where no one is texting, emailing or calling me to get my most important work done.

I will also delegate tasks and ask for help when I need it. As an example, my children will help clean the house and participate in power cooking sessions where we prepare meals for the coming week. And, let’s not forget we live in an online world where everything from clothes, books, groceries and more can be purchased and delivered directly to us!

11)

What are 3 of your favorite books and why?

Good to Great – Jim Collins

I really enjoyed this book and it is worth reading over again. Jim Collins helps you understand what is involved in taking your business from simply good to great using examples from businesses that are familiar to us.

The Starbucks Experience – Joseph A. Michelli My personal bias plays a role here because I just love everything about Starbucks. It’s only because of Starbucks that this tea-drinker will drink a coffee concoction. If you want to learn about customer service/experience/loyalty and how to think “outside-the-box”, this is a book for you.

The Magic of Thinking Big – David J. Schwartz This book just reinforces that we can help shape our own world and experiences. Our thoughts really play an important role in what we want to achieve in our lives.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

12)

How do you manage your stress with work?

Stress comes at different times, from different things and usually, when you aren’t prepared to deal with something. In order to mitigate some of the stress, I really try to stay organized and anticipate the unexpected. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?

Of course, there are times when I just feel as though I’m not coping well and these are the times where I just need to make some “me” time to clear my mind either through running or some form of exercise or to read something inspirational that reminds me that I’m on track.

When I feel overwhelmed I’m also very lucky to have a business and life partner, my husband, who is a good sounding board and reality check for helping me navigate through challenges.

13)

Let’s talk about the sale of your company. How long did it take to sell and what was the process to get the company ready for the sale?

From the time the business was listed to sell (we had multiple offers) to the date of closing, it was approximately 4 months. However, when we first purchased our business, we already knew what our exit strategy would be at some later point in time. As a result, even though we didn’t set a specific date to sell it, we knew that its growth and sustainability would be key success and selling factors down the road. To this point, subconsciously and consciously, there was a consistent push to maintain and increase the value of the business over time while decreasing its debt burden.

In dentistry, the materials, technology as well patient expectations have evolved over the last decade. As a result, it was important for the business to keep pace with these changes and make necessary capital and process improvement investments. The incorporation of various systems and technologies aided in our own efficiency as a team, but increased the bottom line and, in turn, the value of the business.

Interestingly, my husband had wanted to sell the business a few years earlier, but I knew that we had more to offer to the community, our patients, and our team so he agreed to wait a few more years. In this time, we really worked hard with our team to put the interests of our patients at the forefront and aligned our decisions with this vision of patient-centred care.

In addition, the business’ environment needed to be a place where employees and owners, alike, would be happy and comfortable. In all, our goal was to offer a “turnkey” operation to prospective buyers.

Finally, when my partner and I had mutually reached the decision to sell the business, we enlisted the services of a broker who specializes in the dental industry to appraise and value the practice. The broker also listed and marketed the business to multiple buyers. The process can be likened to a real estate transaction.

Once an offer was made and accepted, due diligence and contract negotiations ensued until the closing date.

14)

If you could do everything over again, what would you do differently?

I try not to dwell on the past except to look back and see how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown. All I can say is that if I had the chance to do it over again, I wouldn’t second-guess myself or be scared to do something different from other people. I would trust my abilities and knowledge. Life is a journey, but you won’t experience it to its fullest if you don’t push the boundaries of your bubble or just get out of it. I’ve come to realize that everything usually works out the way it is supposed to so I would try not to stress over things too much.

Image by Julie C. Butler www.womanentrepreneur.co | 45

How often do we tell ourselves that we should wait? That it’s not a good time? That we’re not ready? The truth is you’ll never really be ready, and the lucky ones who get to live their dreams are the ones who took action, long before they ever felt ready.

Feel the fear and do it anyways! I am sure you’ve heard it before. The question is, are you applying it in your life?

Courage is the ultimate secret to success. Successful people are just those who take more action than everyone else and are always inching closer and closer to their dreams.

Your time is right now. There has never been a more perfect time to take the first step towards the life you’ve always wanted! I promise you that you have all of the skills, courage, and determination necessary; you’ve just got to pull it out of you! If there’s something that you really want, there is nothing in this world that will hold you back if you simply decide it’s yours, no matter what.

The thing is, our minds always try to convince us that things will get easier with time. One simple statement that I learned that completely changed the game for me: It is never going to get easier, so you might as well do it right now. At least then, you get to feel that rush of pride when you tackle something that scares you. And every time you feel that pride, you’ll feel more determined to keep going... to keep facing your fears and taking action in spite of them!

There are three stages of fear, and our ego always wants us to believe that more time will equal less fear, and it’s the biggest lie we can tell ourselves.

The truth is, the first stage of fear is when you feel the very least, and it’s the absolute best time to take action. This stage is the very moment when you first feel the fear...that tiny little twinge that’s often mixed with a lot of excitement.

Stage two is when the slight hesitation and procrastination sets in. You still have every intention of eventually taking action or saying yes to the opportunity, but you’re hesitating because all of the worst-case scenarios or the ‘how the hell am I going to do this?’ is flooding in. It’s still possible to take action at this stage of the game, it’s just not the most opportune time.

And then we reach stage three...the absolute doozy. Being in this place is like being stuck in cement. Complete and utter stagnation. Once you’ve hit stage three, you can say goodbye to any thought of taking action because the fear has reached a point where it’s totally paralyzed you. No amount of time, pressure, or deadlines will get you to take action once you’re stuck in this spot.

When you can see it all laid out for you just like that, can you see how important it is for you to take action right away? Time is the one single thing we can never change or get more of. You will never know how powerful you are or how successful you can be until you start making the most of your time.

No more waiting. No more stalling. This is your time!

Imagine waking up six months from now and looking back on your life, amazed by how far you’ve come and how much you’ve been able to build in such a short time? All of that and more can be true for you.

The time has come. It’s yours for the taking!

So, take a deep breath of courage and say it with me: ‘I can do it all, and I will have it all. My time is now!’

LINDSAY ADAMSON International Speaker, Success Coach and Author

email lindsayadamson@gmail.com lindsayadamsonofficial lindsayadamsonofficial 46 | MAY 2018

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When you join the prestigious VIP membership, you will get access to $10 000.00 worth of content and counting. Masterclasses, the business & life accelerator tips, tricks & business secrets awaits you. Don’t forget the global membership portal where you can network locally or globally. Who knows, your next business partner could be a member on this platform!

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SAVVY FEMALES

Coming from a diverse background, Tove Lovisa Bergkvist and Sandra Faas have extensive experience in various professional fields – from construction to social entrepreneurship. Their combined careers in management and business development provide them with reputable knowledge of the corporate profession. Their passion and ambition lay in helping other professional females allow their brilliance to shine.

Together they recognized the demand for a community where females in business can get support and motivation to help them succeed in their corporate and personal lives. Savvy Females, a company driven purely by female intuition, was founded and is a growing sisterhood around the globe.

1| Tell us about some of your amazing achievements?

The most amazing achievement for us is the way the world perceived our message and how this empowered us to reach out to countless women around the world. We feel particularly privileged with all the opportunities that have risen from all our social media channels. We are often invited to events as motivational speakers and present workshops internationally.

2| What are your core business principles and values you do not compromise on?

As a woman, have you ever tried to act like a man in order to be successful? On this inspiring journey we came to realize that, by trying to be something you’re not, you will never live up to your full potential.

Being women with all our female facets is something we experienced as a true blessing on our professional path. Allow yourself to be a woman in a feminine way, trust your intuition and allow yourself to feel your way to success.

Another fundamental key to our success is to create winning partnerships. We truly believe that collaboration is fundamental to long-term business success in so many ways.

3| What is your weakness and how do you compensate for this in business?

Our weakness is definitely a lack of time! We are both occupied by numerous projects we are working on and consider our private lives equally important.

It is all about priority, delegation and time management. You need an objective understanding of what is most important. Perfect timing and a clear overview of what you have to do yourself and what can be delegated are crucial.

4| What do you think is more important, motivation or execution? Why? Motivation and execution; one is not possible without the other. When you adhere to your message and follow your vision, motivation comes naturally. When you are driven by the execution of your vision, you will easily reach your goal. One makes the other stronger. If you do not have both, focus on the one you identify with more, and the other will follow.

5| What inspires and motivates you? Why do you wake up every morning, get the work done and do it all over again the next day?

Each day comes with new challenges and not a single day is the same. We are constantly working on ourselves as individuals and on growing our business. We are evolving into something greater, on both personal and professional levels. Our goal to make this world a better place is our motivation and the liberty of adding value to female communities across the globe is truly a blessing.

6| What has been your biggest fail to date? How did you overcome it and what did you learn?

Savvy Females is not about failures. We truly believe failures are serving us as challenges in need of solutions. Failures do not need to be overcome, they teach us how to solve problems and prepare us for the next big step. We always see the challenge in a difficult situation and are ready to learn and grow from it.

7| From your experience as powerful and successful women, what is the best way to market your business or yourself?

It is important to concretize your brand and personal style to express yourself and your business in a way that is consistent with your message. The next step is to find the market channels that will reach your target market. It is crucial to have a thorough understanding of your market and the consumers you are targeting. Equally important is to have a marketing strategy in place that is customized to your business’ needs.

8| What is the secret to your success?

The secret to success: to start.

Stay focused. Keep going, do not quit.

Let go of your fears and don`t be afraid of the unknown.

50 | MAY 2018

9| What quote do you live by and why?

“Whatever you fear most has no power – it is your fear that has the power.” – Oprah Winfrey.

Fear is really like a door to your next level. If you allow it to consume you it can block you in so many ways and get in the way of your success.

Being able to break through your fears will set you free to create the life of your dreams. It is like finding the key to your personal growth.

10| What advice can you give female entrepreneurs on the same journey who want to achieve the same success as you?

You need to focus intensively on your dream, or vision as we prefer to call it since a vision is to aim higher and not just to dream about your goal. You need the ability to see, feel and live your bigger picture before you can hold it in your hand.

People on the same frequency as yourself will support you: surround yourself with them. If someone is not on your frequency and cannot share your vision, you can’t sing with them. Sing along with the music you like. Identify the places, people and energies that are feeding you and your vision on your way up. Learn, and never stop learning.

Be true to yourself. Respect your intentions to gain more, follow them and accept them. This means to go with you, not against you and your inner voices.

11| How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors, what makes you unique?

The ability to adapt to trends and merging them with the needs of your consumers, in harmony with your own unique style, is a great formula for success in terms of making your brand unique. The perfect combination is being yourself and adapting to the ideal of the field you are working in.

Find the part of your business or brand that differentiates you from your competitors and communicate it in a timely way.

Savvy Females gives you the opportunity to be part of the extraordinary female community and to grow as a woman. We invite you to participate in the energy. You can also buy magical items in the Savvy Females shop.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

GET IN TOUCH WEB: www.savvy-females.com savvy_females savvyfemales www.womanentrepreneur.co | 51

Christina McMasters | CEO of Black Paw Marketing www.linkedin.com/in/christinamcmasters | www.blackpawmarketing.com 52 | MAY 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

Christina McMasters

Top 5 Tips and Tricks to a

I get it, the whole Facebook marketing thing can be super overwhelming. Focus on that demographic, re-target these leads, narrow this, exclude that… where do you even begin?

Over the past year and a half in this industry, I’ve tested and optimized ads for clients globally and have learned from some of the top marketers. I’m going to share with you my top 5 tips and tricks for finding an ideal and killer audience for your marketing campaigns.

CUSTOM & LOOK-A-LIKE AUDIENCES These are the best targeting features Facebook offers. Custom Audiences can help you tap into the most effective group of people which are your existing leads. You can directly target your leads, past clients or anyone in your database by uploading an email list into your ad account. All you have to do is create an excel sheet with email addresses of the people you want to target and upload it into your account. This way, Facebook will show your ad to those very specific individuals. Once you have tapped into your existing leads with the Custom Audience feature, you can create a LookA-Like audience. Look-A-Like audiences will allow you to discover new people who are similar to your existing clients and leads.

Generating a list of Facebook users who are similar to your existing leads and clients based on demographics and behaviors is a great way to hyper-target your ads to an ideal audience. If you’re reading this wondering what to do if you don’t have an existing email list of clients or leads, the second step is for you.

DETAILED TARGETING When I say detailed targeting, I’m referring to the Interest, Behavior, and Demographic targeting options we all see when we enter the Ad Set Level of a campaign. Often times when I’m doing ad consulting or looking at past campaigns for my clients, I’ll find in their targeting they are using very broad interests. Facebook’s Interest Targeting is based on any content that that person has engaged with, whether it was in a positive or negative way. For example, if you’re selling a product that is about Donald Trump, he is very controversial and, targeting Donald Trump as an interest, could be targeting people who either love or absolutely hate him.

You haven’t exactly targeted and narrowed down on his fans, which will result in wasted money and lots of negative feedback on your ads. If you are wanting to target entrepreneurs, rather than simply putting “entrepreneur” in the Interest Targeting, get specific on books, magazines, blogs, websites, conferences, gurus and other things that only your ideal audience would know about. I’m sure almost every entrepreneur has heard and read the book How to Win Friends & Influence People, so this would be ideal to add. You also want to use Behavior Targeting as much as you can, this is going to be a more reliable targeting option than using Interests.

Once you grow your email list of clients or leads in your database (I usually wait until there’s at least 100 - 200) you can then go back to step 1 and add them into your Custom and Look-a-Like Audiences.

GOOGLE TRENDS This works well for businesses that are marketing to many states or countries, and I’ve found it works especially well for my E-commerce clients. Oftentimes, people will target a geographical area where their service or product may not even be in high demand. We use Google Trends because this gives detailed information on where your product or service is being searched

for so you can spend money where it will matter more to people.

The metric to really look out for is a consistent line above the 50-mark on the graph. You can then take this info and plug it into Facebook’s Audience Insights tool. I would dive deeper into how to use Facebook’s Audience tool, but frankly, there’s not enough space on this page and there’s tons of free content online to check out! I do want to mention though that it is a great tool to use as an idea generator if you’re needing more ideas on what to target or if you’re not knowledgeable in what other interests your ideal client may have other than the obvious choices.

WHY AM I SEEING THIS AD? When doing research on your competitors, if they are on their A-game you should receive a retargeting ad right after visiting their website. I’ll purposely visit my clients’ competitors’ websites to get retargeting ads from them just to see who they’re targeting their ads towards. So how can you see who and why they’re targeting?

On the upper right corner of an ad you’ll notice three little dots, if you click that you will see the option Why Am I Seeing This Ad? Facebook will tell you exactly why you’re seeing the ad whether it’s based on your interests, age, gender, or more. You’ll now have an idea of who your competitors are targeting ads towards that you can use as a foundation or idea.

RETARGETING This step is so often skipped, yet it is the most important part of your marketing campaign. When marketing, you can never expect your audience to convert or engage with your ad in the first round. In fact, it typically takes anywhere between 5 - 12 times of becoming familiar with your brand before making any moves.

When someone engages with your content, you’ll need to create a custom audience for people who have engaged with past ads or your Facebook and Instagram pages. This way, you can retarget them with special offers, testimonials, case studies, whatever you may need to show your audience to increase conversions or make them trust you.

I could write for days on the many different tactics and strategies on honing down your ideal audience. Key take-aways are: 1. You’ll need to retarget and make sure that it’s on point. Don’t have the same person view the same retargeting ad more than a couple of times (watch the Frequency metric).

2. Use of Custom and Look-A-Like audiences will save you frustration, money, and time on your campaigns.

3. Stay away from Broad Interest Targeting and dig deep into behaviors as much as you can! www.womanentrepreneur.co | 53

Facts tell, stories sell – it’s a fact We’ve all heard this before but just how do you craft a story that actually turns readers into paying clients? Well, first we need to understand the structure of a good story. The basics are that there is a beginning, a middle and an end.

Then you need some characters – a hero, a villain and a desired person (optional).

Then you need a framework – the hero (maybe reluctant) wants something and the rest of the story is the journey about discovering if the hero will get what she (it is a woman entrepreneur magazine) wants. Along the journey, this hero will encounter obstacles (or problems) that she will have to overcome. These obstacles may be physical, emotional or mental, and she will have to find a way to overcome them to get the desired outcome, whatever that may be.

Now let’s look at it from a business perspective, why does business exist?

To solve problems Our customers have problems and they need help. By talking about the problems, our customers will create a deeper connection or rapport. Discuss the problems with them so that you can take them on a journey towards their goals. Your job is not to be the hero but to be the guide that helps the hero on their journey. If you have read Dante’s Inferno, Dante had to traverse the 9 levels of hell. His guide, Virgil, made sure that he didn’t get lost or stray from the path and also made it out to the other side.

You are Virgil!

Another thing we need to understand is that people make decisions on emotion. Yes, there are some practical aspects to a decision but if you really want to get someone to buy into what you do, you need to talk to them and connect with them on an emotional level. No matter what product or service you sell, you want to tell them the story of what it will do for them personally, how it will change their lives and what they will be able to do with the solution you have provided.

clients, help look after 3 kids and support your very pregnant wife without sleep and being stressed out about not having enough money coming in and servicing clients?

Maybe this is where you are at right now…

When I spoke to him, he knew something had to change.

Physically he just couldn’t carry on doing things the way he was. He was going to burn out. And that’s when he made the decision to take the leap and move forward. To burn the boats at the shore and only go one way, never looking back.

Well, let me tell you where Daan is right now…

Daan tripled his revenue in the first month of working together.

His thinking changed, his belief in himself changed, he saw the true value of what he does and the services he offers and how he really helps people. It changed his entire perspective on business and on life.

Daan now has 3 employees, and 4 kids (they don’t work for him… yet, they’re too young). He has moved out of his home office into an office with a view. He has more clients than he knows what to do with and better yet, they pay him what he is worth – 10X of what he was originally charging. He did more revenue in November 2017 than he did in the whole year. He hit 75% of his 2018 sales target in January. And all this happened in only six months.

If you have felt like Daan, or been in a similar position, and you know you have a great message or product or service but just don’t know how to get it out to the world, book a call with me.

We can work through how you can achieve your own goals and dreams by using a step-by-step system to automate and grow your business.

Simple, clean and to the point.

Here is the structure to create your own story: • Who are they? (industry, company name, size if relevant) • What is the biggest problem they face?

Let me give you an example:

• Why did they come to you?

A client of mine, Daan, owns a small business selling coaching and software services. He runs the business with his wife and has 3 children. His wife is pregnant with their 4th child and is very close to giving birth. At the same time the business is taking strain as he is the only one who is running the business and has clients to look after. He is working 24-hour days, in fact, when I spoke to him, he hadn’t slept for 3 days. Maybe that’s why he bought.

• What did you help them do?

Can you imagine what it must be like to be working so damn hard, have all these responsibilities; to pay bills, take care of

Always believe in magic, Matt Clark

• What were the end results?

Go and do this exercise. If you need help crafting your own story, connect with me and I’ll guide you to achieving your dreams.

About the Author: Matt Clark is a sales funnel expert and the creator of The Automated Income System. He has built his own multimillion-dollar companies both online and offline (door to door sales). He works with businesses all over the world helping them to automate, grow revenues, profits and free up more time. His clients have been able to entirely automate their businesses and create more revenue in one month than in an entire year - growing their business x5 by just doing things differently. His mission is to elevate the level of business worldwide by making tools and strategies available to business owners.

Get your free copy of his book, The Automated Income System: How To Charge More, Work Less And Feel Great About It, on his website. Or get in touch with Matt directly if you need some help implementing these tools and to find out more about what is possible for your business.

Email: matt@thevirtualedge.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattclarksa Website: www.thevirtualedge.com 54 | MAY 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

STORYSELLING with your marketing message

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 55

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Daniella Princi is the health and wellness expert behind “Your Intrinsic Life�. She is a professional psychologist, coach and international speaker, assisting you to reconnect and transform your life, mind, body and soul.

WEB www.yourintrinsiclife.com EMAIL daniella@yourintrinsiclife.com YourIntrinsicLife YourIntrinsicLife

MANAGE YOUR ENERGY and connect to your success

We all wish to be successful. In striving for success, however, there is always the challenge of time. Yet, I believe it is more than that- I believe that in achieving (and thereby succeeding) there is a conflict between our consciousness of what we value, and the life we are actually leading and choices we are making as a result.

Therefore, for me, it is not about Time Management, but rather Energy Management. Where are you placing your energy? What thoughts, behaviors, choices, and situations are you focusing your attention and energy on?

W

orking with and coaching clients, whether to achieve a goal, striving to find personal empowerment, value and purpose in their lives, or learning tools to manage challenges; when I try to introduce core health-management strategies such as exercise, journal writing, mindfulness, nutrition, and meditation, I am often met with the ‘excuse’ of lack of time; and it is an excuse, because we are essentially a product of our own choices (and excuses!). If we made it a priority, we can achieve anything. There is the reality of only having 24 hours in a day, so I started to think about how I could support others in successfully achieving; finding that intrinsic focus to Connect to their Success. Finding that sense of being aware, connected, structured and organized to get the results and outcomes they are striving for. I wrote a mini book, and I contain here, some of the content for you.

As a woman or man in this day and age, our role is not simply one of maintaining a household or working and earning money. Rather, we maintain a household and have a career, manage our business and staff, and work in and on our businesses, all whilst trying to balance this by spending time with family and maintaining relationships with our partners. Add keeping fit and healthy on top of that, we often get the result of feeling overwhelmed and burnt-out.

Your relationship with your partner and children may have taken strain and is fraught with arguments. You may be intolerant of others’ behaviors and feel that you are failing in all areas of your life. When you are trying to please everyone else you lose touch with who you are, your behaviors change, your thought patterns change, you change; and not for the better!

No matter what your personal situation, it is likely you have experienced - if not now, at least some time in your life - that sense of your mind being in chaos, being unable to focus and make clear decisions, feeling time-poor, not eating and sleeping properly. That is a general sense of overwhelm, frustration and unhappiness. A sense of disconnection and dissatisfaction with life.

It is now time for you to invest in yourself and learn how to retrain your mind and body to relax, so as to better cope with the challenges life brings you. Get Connected, Get Organised and Get Results!

More and more, research is proving the power of mindfulness and the neurological benefits of implementing mindful practices on a daily basis. Guided meditation, driving to work via a new route and being more aware of those activities we do on autopilot. Rather than the over-active stress response, your body is currently living with, you can learn about the ‘Relaxation response’. This means you need to slow down! Yes, you heard me! Do you know that we are clearer and more productive when we take time out and nurture ourselves?

This is hard to do when we are on the momentum of striving for goals, right? However, if we do not do this - if we do not honor and nurture ourselves and our bodies - no matter who we are, we will never reach and achieve our goals or success in wholeness. We will not be able to experience our achievements in a space of presence, calmness, authenticity and true, whole success. For me, this is a significant aspect of achieving success in my life’s purpose. If I can’t do it from this space of presence and of BE-ing - with truth and integrity - it will not be success in its truest form.

I also refer to The Circle of Control. This is the idea that we can, and should, look at what is happening to us in our lives in terms of what is within or outside of our own control. Unfortunately, when we feel overwhelmed and out of control, it is because we usually are. We are often focused on changing or fixing things that are not within our control, such as how someone speaks to us, the choices our friends, children, employer or work colleagues are making, and also the activities some people engage in. We get upset, worked up, and often overwhelmed by all these things.

“The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it” – Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. This is to say that the cause of our unhappiness is our reaction to something. You need to learn to focus your energies intrinsically instead, through looking at the choices you make, the behaviors you undertake and the decisions you make. When you do that, the sense of feeling overwhelmed and out of control suddenly turns into one of control again.

Another aspect of the Circle of Control is the concept of self. If you are focussing on what is in your control (you), what are you doing for you?

Is your cup full, empty or in-between? How are you feeling? Fatigued, disconnected, stressed, unfulfilled? Irritable or unmotivated? Or happy, loving, energetic, fulfilled, compassionate? Where are you? Where would you like to be? When you feel nurtured and nourished, you will grow to be more consciously connected with your truth, your life, and your purpose, and therefore you will be happier, more grounded and motivated, thereby achieving more. You will be a better person for yourself, your partner, your children, your life…

The only thing you can control and depend on is YOU! So, the only way you can win this battle of busy-ness, stress, panic, relationship issues, social concerns… LIFE… is to fight from within you… And that is what I am about… As the Conscious Psychologist, I help people to release what no longer serves them and to consciously reconnect with themselves.

The most important thing we will ever have is the relationship we have with ourselves… “The relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have”. Once you are connecting to and nurturing yourself, the next step is balance.

Life is all about balance and managing our priorities. We cannot focus on all of our priorities every day, so in the spirit of what a friend calls, lopsided balance, we sometimes have to prioritize something in the moment, knowing you will focus on the others at another time in the day (or even the next day!). The idea here is that it is not about forgetting or ignoring something, but rather knowing it will get done at another time So, if you want to achieve, Connect to your Success- manage your energy! Slow down, focus only on what is in your control, and be sure to nurture yourself regularly.

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