Getting Back On Track

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“I have to remember to tell the negative committee that meets in my head to sit down and shut up.” ~Kathy Kendall

Hello Fabulous Women!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am definitely in the middle of my usual end of August, slightly out of control, what am I supposed to be doing now, discombobulated, how can I get back on track syndrome.

Just got back from two weeks of (mostly) vacation, way too many emails to go through, kids go back to school next week (!), house looks like a disaster, realized I forgot to pay the sewer bill back in July, haven’t blogged in weeks, how on earth can there possibly be this much laundry to do – ladies, please tell me I am not alone!  Is this really what being a woman entrepreneur looks like?  Apparently, yes, it is.

Okay, then, this is for all of us.  Let’s take a deep breath and we’ll get through this together.  Ready?

The first step is to step back and get some perspective, take a look at the big picture.  The laundry may be screaming at you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the most important thing to focus on.

Here’s what I’m doing.  To re-establish some perspective and sanity, stop and ask yourself what you want your life/home/business to look like by the end of September.  Not today, not in six months, just in a little over a month.  Be specific, what do you want to have completed, have in process, and so forth.  Here are some examples from me:

By the end of September I want to:

• Have three new ads in place on appropriate websites advertising my business coaching services
• Have my two daughters doing their own laundry (!)
• Have painted my bathroom
• Have blogged consistently 1-2 times per week
• Have two new coaching clients
• Have my bedroom reorganized and decluttered

There are a few more individual items, but those are the main goals. 

Now here’s something interesting.  As soon as I stopped and looked out into the future just a few weeks, and then started writing down some very specific goals, I immediately stopped feeling overwhelmed and started feeling energized and even excited to take on some of those goals.  (That bathroom is really calling to me because I finally picked a color – can’t wait to do it!)

I no longer feel a crazy pressure to get it all done right now, which is impossible and self-defeating, and instead I feel confident that I can get all of that done – and then some – over the next few weeks and I’m ready to get back on track and in action.

So if you are feeling even a little bit the way I was, my challenge and suggestion to you for today is to do the same thing – stop and write down what you want to have accomplished by the end of September, and then get in action. 

On September 30, my life is going to have less laundry in it and more coaching clients.  Not to mention a beautiful teal paint above my black and white bathroom tiles.

And you? What’s your life going to look like on September 30^th? 

Have a fabulous day!

–Ann

On Track and On Purpose Coaching, Business Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs, Business Woman Coach

Women’s Business Networking Works!

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.” ~Bethany Hamilton

Hello Fabulous Women!

There are few topics in business today that are talked about more than networking.  Whether social networking online, BNI (Business Networking International) meetings, local “meet and greets” or incidental networking (business card, elevator speech), the one thing it seems we are supposed to be doing all the time is networking.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it seems like too much to think about, and too much to do.  That’s why it’s great when I see something simple happen that creates a win-win, and realize, oh yes, that’s networking!  That’s all it is, it doesn’t have to be a chore, it’s just getting connected and helping each other out!

Just exactly that happened recently.  A few months ago, graphic designer Meg Levine, who had subscribed to my blog for some time, gave me a call to connect and network.  We had never spoken before, but we really enjoyed talking with each other, and we ended up creating a “buddy” relationship where we talk twice a week to help each other stay “on track and on purpose,” moving forward with our businesses.

That was Networking Win #1, as Meg and I have both greatly benefited from being accountability buddies.

I was so impressed by Meg’s experience and talent that I decided to write a blog post about her work.  As a result of that, Natasha Bowden, another On Track and On Purpose blog subscriber, contacted Meg and hired her to create a logo for Natasha’s new business, UrbanPlie.

Those were Networking Wins #2 and #3, a project for Meg and a beautiful logo for Natasha’s business. 

Here’s the logo Meg created for Natasha’s business:

 

Urbanplie

I absolutely love this logo, and think it is perfect for Natasha’s business, which is based in New York City and is dedicated to inspiring children through dance.

Who knows where Win #4 may be – perhaps a new student for Natasha from one of you, maybe another logo design or website creation for Meg. 

And it all started with Meg subscribing to my blog and then deciding I was someone she’d like to connect to.  And then she did that crucial next step: She picked up the phone and called me.  She didn’t call me to try to get me to hire her, she just thought, based on what I write, that I was someone she’d like to connect with, and we ended up creating some great things out of that one phone call.

So here is my challenge for you all today:

Who would you like to get to know better, who have you met or talked to (or read!) that you feel drawn toward, thinking “that’s someone I’d really like to know”? 

Pick someone that you just think is really great, and pick up the phone and call them, just like Meg called me.  Email if that’s more appropriate, but call if you can.  Tell them what you like about them, or what had you think you’d like to get to know them better, and just have a conversation.  You never know what can happen out of a simple conversation like that.

And that is what networking is all about.

One more mention of Meg Levine’s great work.  Have you ever thought of having a powerful and compelling logo for your business?  Here are just a few of the many great logos Meg has created (she has been a graphic designer for over 20 years!):

           

   

  

Terrific, aren’t they?  To see more logos or to see her website designs and other work, go to www.meglevinedesign.com.  Contact Meg and see what she can provide for you and your business!  She has agreed to offer a 10% discount to all On Track and On Purpose Blog readers on any project, from logos to websites to e-folios, so be sure to tell her where you heard about her.

And if you’d like to find out more about UrbanPlie, contact Natasha at natasha@urbanplie.com.

Have a fabulous day!

–Ann

On Track and On Purpose, Business Coaching for Women Entrepreneurs, Business Woman Coach