You don’t need anyone’s permission…except yours

This is a wonderful and glorious time of year when many people’s spirits are free. People seem to open their minds and hearts around the New Year. They are open to change and opportunity.

And starting January 1st, we’ll see a slough of good intending life changers embark on new journeys and challenges. They will strive  to curb bad habits, set goals and take new action steps. “Enough is enough” they say to themselves, as they summon the courage and tenacity to face their fears, face their insecurities and take on the challenges that lie ahead with vigour and hope. I commend them. I commend you, if you’re planning some resolutions of your own.

I would only have on piece of advice:

ensure, beyond a doubt that your goals/aspirations/intentions/resolutions (or any changes you plan to make as a result of the New Year) are YOURS.

No ‘should’, no ‘have to’, no ‘guilt’ or ‘shame’ driven changes.

Instead, get quiet, get clear, get grounded and get excited. Allow your inner voice to sing out all that you wish to accomplish in the coming year.

Give yourself permission to dream. Dream of all that YOU want. You deserve it. You deserve to live the life of your dreams!

I wish you a 2011 full of authentic achievement.

Heather

Rules to Live By

1. Don’t compare yourself to other people.

“Be yourself – everyone else is taken” -Gail Larsen

It’s important to set your own goals and compare yourself and your progress to the outcome of your desires. If you slip in to the trap of comparing yourself to others – it’s hard to get out.

2. Don’t resist your emotions.

Simply put, your emotions are clues. Use them to your advantage to sleuth out what’s adding value to your life and supporting your highest good (feeling good) and what needs to be tweaked, ditched or changed because your not feeling great. Your emotions always tell the truth – acknowledge them, consider them, embrace them.

3. Take 100% responsibility for yourself and your life.

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the reasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” – Jim Rohn

Beyond Pink

I had the great honour and privilege to speak on Day 1 of Beyond Pink 2010 (#bp2010) and I was so incredibly energized by the whole experience.

Confession #1: The day before the conference I still didn’t feel convinced on what I was going to present. I knew the content I wanted to share (lessons I’ve learned that I think could help others), but, it was more a question of which context? what stories? – I’ve learned so much – which is the most important? what really matters to a 22 yr. old? what will really help them? what do they need to hear?

In reflection, I’m so shocked at how much of a ‘fear’ mode I entered in to when I was in preparing because I was ‘Worrying, stressing, over-thinking etc.’ I wanted so badly to present something amazing, inspirational, life changing, magical….I almost forgot, what they wanted most to hear was ‘how’? How I did it, and how I thought they could do it. All I had to do was tell the truth, tell my story, and be myself – I feel a “that was easy” Staples button push at this moment and I’m sure the 48 hrs leading up to my presentation could have been a lot smoother if I had made this realization a little earlier. But hey, these are the growing ‘pains’ of life.

When I arrived at Beyond Pink, as usual I was blown away. These ladies had put together a meticulously organized event with authentically energized volunteers – it was an amazing experience! They had all the details covered and as a speaker, I’ve been to many conferences – these girls took such amazing care of me – it was definitely a ‘rock star’ feeling – thank you!!!

When I saw how they had so cleverly organized the speaker sessions, of which conference attendees got to choose which sessions they’d go to – I hit major panic mode. Confession # 2 – I saw the bowl for my session and there were only 3 tabs inside to which I assumed (MAJOR MISTAKE) that only 3 people wanted to come to my session. I had an egoic moment where I questioned my entire existence on the planet, and quickly snapped myself back to earth and affirmed the thought ‘I trust that the right people will be in the room for the right reasons and if that is only 3 people – then that is the way it is meant to be.”

It turns out the bowl for my session was originally filled with the # of spots that could be accommodated in the room, and the 3 tabs inside my bowl meant my workshop was practically sold out. (It was a great reminder for me (and to anyone reading this) to not make assumptions!!)

Confession #3: I think I got more out of the experience than anyone. I don’t think there is anything more validating than when people spend time to learn how you’ve navigated your life path with genuine curiosity. The mistakes, the triumphs, the truth. Thank you so much to YWIB and all the amazing women who I met at Beyond Pink 2010. You all left a definite MARK on my heart.

Much love!
Heather

5 Ways Business is like GOLF

I’m down in the golf mecca of Palm Desert this week and it reminded me of this post I wrote during last years Masters Tournament.

I’m a huge lover of the game of golf. Having my dad as a top amateur and my other half playing pro for the better half of the last decade indeed has helped the development of my passion for the game. But in the past few weeks I’ve continued to see parallels between this historic game and another very historic game, called BUSINESS.

1. Ageless

Regardless of whether you’re 25 or 105 the measurement of your success in business and in golf does not take age in to the mix. Simply put, you either put up the numbers or your don’t – end of story READ MORE

Who's Winning? The Visionary vs. The Critic

On my desk I have a small plaque that reads “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new” and it’s so true.  Earlier this week, I was talking with my business partner about the two “mindsets” that seem to reside in every individual.  Firstly, there’s the visionary.  That’s the voice, that when you were a kid, told you that you could be anything that you desired: astronaut, doctor, lawyer, actor, singer. It’s the part of you that believes anything’s possible, doesn’t take no for an answer and flies in the face of the fear of rejection.

What seems to happen as we get older is the voice of the visionary becomes quieter and another voice booms dominantly in our minds.  This is the voice of the critic.  The critic is the part of you that is paralyzed by the fear of rejection.  It’s the voice that has  all the excuses about why you can’t or shouldn’t pursue whatever desires you may have.

Further challenging the softening voice of the visionary is the rest of the world.  What happens when you tell you parents, your peers, you colleagues, your friends about this off the wall new idea you have?  Are they supportive or do they question the “how” in your new plans?  Are they jumping in with ideas and brainstorming all the different ways you could accomplish something or are they quick to see all the reasons why it’s not possible or you shouldn’t pursue it?

I can’t begin to tell you the number of clients I’ve had that are working hard on pursuing their passion and living their dream only to be challenged by those around them about when they plan to settle down and get a “real job”?  

This week take some time and listen to your inner voice.  Who’s winning the battle between your ears – the visionary or the critic?  Furthermore, look at your social and familial networks and check the pulse on which voice they are supporting.  After all, the world is your oyster; only you can decide what experience you have while you’re here!

Cheers,

Heather

Networking Advice for Small Business: Work the Crowd

I was recently at an event with a bunch of my former colleagues from the large corporation I used to work for. I was there, representing my own company, and although it was great to see them and catch up, I was a bit shocked to notice and furthermore realize – they were all sticking together, not really venturing out in to the crowd to explore and meet new people.

Of course it feels safe and comfortable to stay connected with the people you came with, instead of going out in to the crowd – alone. But, for a small business owner, sticking around with the people you already know, when you’re at an event full of prospecting opportunities, is a big no no!

You have to be curious, you have to be prepared, and you have to work the crowd! Here’s a few more tips for maximizing your success at networking events.

1. Show up early

When you arrive early you often have a great opportunity to connect with the host(s), group or organization who is putting on the event. Knowing these people is a great asset for a variety of reasons. It gives you (at minimum) one person with whom you can connect with, and stay in contact with following the event. Also the old saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’ can come in handy, especially if you’re trying to establish a few networking groups to get involved in. Typically the organizations in your city putting on business networking events know of the other organizations doing the same and often attend one another’s events. Knowing your host can serve you well. Next stop, the bar. Even if you don’t drink (and I don’t recommend having more than 2 drinks at any professional function) it’s always great to know the bartender. Since you’re early, you’ll probably have a chance to strum up a bit of a conversation, until the room starts to fill. You’ll feel more comfortable and more at ease, instead of entering a busy room full of conversations and trying to make your way in to one. By arriving early, you’ll ease in to conversations at a nice pace.

2. Be a card collector, not a card pusher

I’ve had many conversations with my colleagues and clients who seem to think that giving out a lot of business cards is a sign of success when networking. Now I’m not suggesting to hoard your cards, but, instead, be tactful when networking. Be authentic and be curious. Not everyone needs your card, and you don’t need everyone’s either. That said, it’s far more important to leave a networking event, having collected cards of people you’d like to know more about, connect with further, or continue the conversation with, instead of handing your card out to people who may or may not call you again. (I remember being at a conference a few years ago where there were over 3000 people in attendance. To my horror and dismay, in the line for breakfast one morning, there was a gal walking down the aisle, tearing off her perforated business cars, that she must have printed out that morning, and handing them out to everyone in line. I’m pretty sure 99% of the people in line did exactly what I did with her card – trashola!) Networking events are a venue for you to connect with other professionals and EXPLORE whether or not there is value in reconnecting at a later date and time. Passing out your card at random is disrespectful of people and their time, to say the least.

3. Be prepared

Being prepared, as a small business owner, means being able to answer the question: “what do you do?”. And it’s not good enough to say “I’m the owner of 2020 Communications Inc.”, because people don’t know what that means. You have to be prepared to tell people what you actually DO: “I own a training company that works with restaurant owners and managers to train their service staff on how to sell more product at table-side.” See the difference? Don’t feel bad if you’ve been missing this step as many small business owners do. Instead, make this small correction and be prepared forever more for networking success.

Small Business Advice: Form Strategic Alliances

There’s no question that running a small business on a limited marketing and advertising budget is challenging. You have to make your money stretch and you have to make sure there is a strong ROI (return on investment) for the time and money you put in to things. One great way to leverage both your time and money is to form strong relationships with strategic alliances.

A strategic alliance in business is someone who sells complimentary products or services to the same niche market spaces that you do. Forming a relationship and furthermore a joint venture with a strategic alliance can prove to be fruitful for small business owners looking to stretch their cash.

A great example of a recent strategic alliance that I heard of, was formed between a personal trainer and a photographer. The personal trainer, who specializes in training high achieving female clients, paired up with a high-end photographer specializing in capturing natural and authentic beauty. Both service providers serve the same niche market: high achieving female clients who want to look and feel beautiful. They both do a different thing, for the same target client, making a client for one, a client for both. By pairing up they are sharing the cost of prospecting and hunting for new business. A smart move in today’s busy market space.

YWIB Presents 2010 Beyond Pink Conference

I’m so excited to be speaking at this year’s Beyond Pink Conference presented by YWIB (Young Women In Business) held on November 19th & 20th at the 4 Seasons Hotel in Vancouver BC. This 2 days is a sure way to catapult you in to a world of forward thinking, like-minded, professional women who will inspire you to live the life of your imagination and dreams. I’ve had the honour of sitting on the YWIB Advisory Board since it’s inception and I am constantly amazed by the passion and enthusiasm of these bright women.

For any Vancouver woman looking to connect with a group of powerful women, looking to be inspired and looking to have a LOT of fun, while making new friends – register for Beyond Pink 2010 Today!! Click HERE to register.

Small Business Success

Having worked directly with hundreds of business owners over the past three years, I’ve noticed that regardless of the size of the company, there are some fundamental considerations that must be made in order to make money and have success.

In the sake of keeping this post relatively short, I’ve chosen 3:

1. Take 100% responsibility for your success

I know this sounds simple, but, it still never ceases to amaze me, how many people are still not willing to do this. 100% responsibility means that even when someone else screws up (a supplier, your bookkeeper, your lawyer, your sales person(s), your delivery driver, etc.) you still take responsibility. No consumer cares that it wasn’t exactly your fault. No consumer wants to hear you go on a rant about how you just can’t find good people these days etc. Your consumers want to know that NO MATTER WHAT you are willing to take ownership of what your business is doing in the market. You might lose a sale, you might even lose a customer, but, I promise you, you will still retain some ‘street cred’ for the simple fact that you take responsibility. Regardless of the results you’re getting today in your business, promise yourself that tomorrow, when you wake up, you will look yourself in the mirror and take 100% responsibility for those results and 100% responsibility to make the necessary changes (if there are some) in order to change those results. No more blaming, complaining, passing the buck, or making excuses. As a business owner myself, I know exactly how hard this can be, however, nothing will serve you better in the long run.

2. Know your numbers

I’m shocked on an ongoing basis by how many people have no concept of the financial health of their business. Now, I’m not much of a math girl – never really have been, BUT, taking 100% responsibility doesn’t mean you always have to be the one doing the work. (And in my case, I’m not.) I still take 100% responsibility to make sure I have the best service providers and MORE IMPORTANTLY I make sure I have strong relationships with them so that I can ask all the necessary questions. I don’t have to know it all, I just need to know who to ask. All that said, I review my numbers on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis. How much business am I prospecting, who have I or am I presenting to, what new business have I closed, what expenses do I have, what’s my cash flow look like, what budgets do I need/want to create for new projects, ideas, etc. Everything in my business is measurable and attached to a number. That is the only way I know how I’m doing, what I need to be doing better, what isn’t working and what I need to do more of. If you haven’t already, take charge of your finances this week. Get a strong bookkeeper and accountant on your team asap to support you. (If you need a recommendation, pop me an email – I’ve got a rolodex chalk full of the best in the City!)

3. Hunt for new business

I get a lot of my female clients wide-eyed when I mention the concept: ‘we eat what we kill’ and I thing I know why. It sounds gruesome. Killing/hunting – these are not terms synonymous with the feminine business model, however, I think they make a strong and necessary point. As business owners we need to be curious. Curious about the answer to the question “who needs/wants what I have to offer?” And after we’ve answered those questions we need to actually PURSUE those audiences. We need to SEARCH. Searching out and pursuing a SPECIFIC target is called HUNTING. The main thing to retain (if you can’t stomach the analogy) is that you have to ACT. You have to step out, make contact, have conversations and curiously explore and search for new business opportunities. Trust me when I tell you that sitting in your office, apartment, starbucks etc. ‘hoping, praying, and attracting’ new business is not the route to profitability.

Put these 3 - small business fundamentals for success - on the top of your ‘to be’ list and watch your business take off.

All the best,

Heather

Lighten Up!

It seems fitting, on a weekend where I’ll be stuffing my belly with yummy turkey goodness, to write a post about lightening up.

My life as an entrepreneur has felt heavy at times. And although the heaviness has evolved and morphed and changed – it still shows up. In the early days the heaviness was about survival – on all levels. Later it became about values, boundaries, rules of engagement. And lately, it’s been about vision, telling the truth, not to others so much, but, to myself. The truth about what I really want to do, who I really want to be, where I really want to go….heavy stuff eh?

I see it two fold – one part of me is tired, resisting, frustrated, sometimes even angry at having to think, feel, and the worst part – DECIDE – what answers to those questions will I create? Will I be true to myself and go for what I really want or play it safe, where it’s more comfortable, not as scary? The other part of me is wildly excited, knowing exactly where we are going, exactly what we are doing, exactly who we are being. (Funny how I see that part as a ‘we’ and not an ‘I’ – not too sure about that…telling).

So, I’m going to do what I do every time ‘heaviness’ comes up in my business and in my life. I’m going to let it all go. I’m going to just lighten up. I’m going to decide not to decide. I’m going to stop trying to force it. I’m going to stop obsessing. I’m going to breathe, I’m going to have fun and I’m going to lighten up! Lightening up, for me, looks like playing, no agenda, silliness, child-like curiosity and exploration. I don’t know what I’m going to do, don’t know who’s going to call or who I’m going to call. Don’t know what idea or inspiration I’m going to have, or not. Who cares?

Sometimes life gets heavy and feels hard. When you recognize that – do whatever works for you to ‘lighten up’!!

“Fear grows in darkness; if you think there’s a bogeyman around, turn on the light.” – Dorothy Thompson