Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”  ~ Eric Hoffer

Hello Fabulous Women!

Over the past few weeks I have been working hard to rebrand myself and On Track and On Purpose Business Coaching. I am elbow deep in simplifying and re-designing my website, re-writing my website copy, clarifying my purpose and target market and ideal clients, re-creating my marketing strategy, and so on… and on… sometimes it does seem never-ending!

That is the primary reason I have not written many blog posts recently, and last time even “re-used” one that I originally posted a couple of years ago. Interestingly, I got more feedback from that re-post “Feeling Stuck? Break It Down and Get Moving!” than for posts I’ve written recently – it really seemed to strike a nerve!

I am getting down into the final stages and getting close to republishing my new website design. I would love get some feedback on the new design from a number of different people, so I’d like to put a request out to all of you: If any of you would be interested in spending a few minutes on the phone with me in the next week or so, so that I could show you my new website set up and get your feedback, I would be very grateful.  After all, you are my target audience!

As we’ve all experienced, with any project, be it a website, a book, a business plan, even a room design, there comes a point when you’ve looked at it so long you can’t really see it anymore, and having a few new “fresh eyes” to look at it can be of immense help. I’ve had the great benefit of working with a graphic designer and a writer, and now I’d love to get feedback from some of you as well.

If you would be interested in sharing with me your viewpoint and your unique “fresh eye,” please send me an email to ann@ontrackandonpurpose.com to let me know and I will get right back to you. If there is something in your business you would like feedback on as well, please let me know and I would be happy to reciprocate. We’re all in this together, working hard to make our lives and businesses blossom, and it’s all a lot more fun when we can help each other out!

 Have a fabulous day, and I look forward to hearing from you!

–Ann

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

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” ~Plato

Hello Fabulous Women!

Seems like a number of people I’ve spoken with lately, my business coaching clients and others, are experiencing some area of life where they are feeling very STUCK.  I don’t know, maybe it’s this rainy weather that sure seems to be stuck in place here in Rhode Island!

So I’ve decided to re-post something I wrote on the subject a couple of years ago – if there really is a general “stuckness” in the air maybe this will hit a few nerves and help people get out of that rut and into action.  Enjoy!

–Ann

I’m Stuck!  Stuck, stuck, stuck! (Originally posted in Sept 2007)

We all know the feeling.  It comes in a lot of different flavors  – being stuck, in a rut, paralyzed, no forward movement, don’t know what to do, don’t know what you want, know what you want but have no idea how to get started, afraid to do the wrong thing, second guessing, how do I know it’s the right choice, feeling trapped, don’t have the time, don’t have the money, don’t have the time or the money – yuck, I’m feeling all squished and stuck just talking about it!

So how do you get unstuck?  Well, of course all stuckness is not the same, but I’d like to talk about a very particular kind of stuck that is easier to get past than you might think.

Is there something that’s really important to you, some project you want to create, or some area of your life that’s not working the way you want, but you just feel stuck and stopped in trying to get anything going, or creating the change you want?  Like maybe you have a great idea, at home or work, and you’ve had that idea for, oh, I don’t know, years, and you just never seem to get started.  Or you keep saying you want to create more romantic time with your honey, but somehow you just can’t seem to create it and make it happen.  Or, of course, you want to start your own business, (I know who I’m talking to!) and you get a few things going and then you hit a place where you just can’t move past it.

For a lot of things in life – probably most of them – what’s missing to get you in action is very simple.  You just need to break it down.  Yeah, really, most of time that’s what it takes, and even when it takes more, breaking it all down into small steps is still a huge part of the process.

So, how do you do that?

Try this: Pick something you want to accomplish, where you’ve been stuck, something that just seems so big or so new to you that you don’t even know where to start.  Got one? 

Okay, let’s go:  Ask yourself, what’s the first step?  What’s the first, little baby step that you could take?  For some of you, the answer was obvious, you do actually know at least one step you could take now.  (For you guys, okay, so either go do it or, if you truly can’t do it now, go schedule it in your planner or system.)  For some of you, though, the honest answer is, “I don’t know!  That’s the problem, I don’t even know what the first step is!”

Okay, when you don’t even know what your first step is, and that is what’s stopping you, then here are some other questions to help get you going:

What would I need to find out – what info do I need – to be able to figure out what my first step is?

Who could I talk to or where could I go to get that information?

For example, let’s say you have an idea for a business, you’ve done a bunch of research, you have some idea of what it’s going to take, but you’ve also concluded that you don’t want to do this alone, you want a business partner.  And you keep thinking how great it would be to have a business partner, but you don’t have anyone in mind, and you don’t know how to find a business partner for this business that doesn’t even exist yet, so you keep thinking it would be great, but you don’t know how, but it would be just great, but how can you find them, and it would be so much easier if you had a partner, but you have no idea how to find them … and around and around and around it goes in your head, getting nowhere, and you are – STUCK!

So how do you get unstuck with that?  You break it down, like this:

Project is: Finding a Business Partner

Problem is: You don’t know what your first step is, so you are taking no action.

Solution is: Break it down like this:  First, you ask yourself, “What information do I need to be able to figure out what my first step is?”

Answer (Well, this is how I would answer the question!): If you want to find something, you need to define what it is you are looking for.  So first, get really clear about who this partner would be – what kind of qualities they would have, what kind of skills, what kind of working relationship will you have, man or woman (if you care), what kind of experience, what will they bring to the table?  Create your ideal business partner.  Can you do that?  Of course!  That alone will start to get you unstuck!

Once you know what you are looking for, then you ask yourself again, what’s the next step?  Well, it’s obvious that the more people who know what you want, the faster you will find it.  So you need to get the word out.  For some people, that could mean advertising or going on Monster or something like that, but for everyone the obvious next step is, just start talking to people! 

Tell people about your business and what you are looking for in a business partner – be specific, get in conversation with all kinds of people, and see what comes your way.  You will be amazed at what happens just from clearly telling lots of people (at least several people a day) exactly what you want.

As a result of those conversations, you are going to have a whole lot more information, other peoples’ perspectives and ideas, prospective partners, even prospective customers and employees – there will be so much energy and excitement as you focus on and talk about what you want, that you’ll wonder how you ever could have been stuck about any of this.

Still keep asking yourself, “What’s the next step?”  Once things have started, you’ll no longer be just slowly creating one step at a time – they’ll be so many steps popping up in your mind the problem will be keeping them organized and on track, not coming up with them!

So we took what seemed like a big problem and, instead of trying to find the whole solution, we just created a couple of very do-able, sensible first steps, and voila, bye bye stuckness, hello action!  Is the whole project – finding a partner – handled yet?  No, but you are in action about it, you are excited, you are networking and connecting and  – most importantly — you are not stuck!

–Ann

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

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“Mistakes are part of the dues that one pays for a full life.”  –Sophia Loren

Hello Fabulous Women!

We all know that mistakes are a part of life.  Here’s a question for you, though:  Are you making the most of your mistakes? 

We all probably have some mistakes that we learned a great deal from, ones we could point to and say what a big difference it made.  Like when I went to the expense and trouble to form an S-Corp for my business before I really knew what kind of business I was creating.  Yes, I did that.  I thought I knew what I was doing, and it seemed like a good idea… famous last words, right?  Let me tell you, I learned a lot from that mistake and it’s not one I’ll be making again!

You can probably think of a few examples yourself — some of them just jump right out at you, don’t they? 

However, I know there are also mistakes that I never took the time to look at carefully and truly learn from.  For example, there are things I have tried in marketing my business coaching that “didn’t work,” but I didn’t take the time to figure out what it was that made them fail, and instead just moved on to some other marketing tactic. 

I suspect that, by not taking the time to understand what had happened, I may well have just brought the same problem along with me to the next endeavor, thereby repeating the same mistake without realizing that’s what I was doing.  Certainly, I’ve had more than one marketing tactic not work out well – perhaps the common denominator was something in my approach rather than in the tactics themselves?  Couldn’t be!  But it probably is.

So here’s my challenge for you today:  What mistake/failure have you experienced in your work that you didn’t learn from?  Where would it have made a difference if you had paid the time and attention to look more deeply at what happened, figured out what parts did work and what parts didn’t?  And what can you learn from that now to create greater success today?

Good luck, and remember, always keep growing and learning – it’s so much better than the alternative!

–Ann

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

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” ~ Mark Twain

Hello Fabulous Women!

I suspect I am not alone in having a long list of “things to do.”  From little things like folding the laundry to much more ambitious items, like writing a grant proposal or creating a marketing strategy, our lists seem never ending, don’t they? 

Don’t get me wrong, I love lists.  I love that visceral thrill of crossing a finally completed item off that sucker (although nowadays it’s usually clicking “Complete” in Outlook rather than the thick line drawn through on the paper.  I miss that line…)

And I love making new lists, thinking of new goals, pushing myself to think bigger, get organized and get in action!

And have you ever done this – you find an old “to do list” from a year or more ago, in a pocket maybe, and you look over the old items, and then instead of just throwing it out you take the time to find a pen and cross out all the things you’ve since done on that old list?  I have, many times.  No way I’m throwing that old list out until I’ve had the pleasure of crossing things out!

I’ve been looking at my own lists, and noticing that there are certain items that I keep pushing forward, never quite getting to them, while others get checked off quickly.  I also notice that sometimes my lists are full of things I don’t really want to do but feel I need to do.  Not all of the time, by any means, but sometimes there really isn’t a single thing on there that makes me smile.

I have thought about this quite a bit, and I have decided to make a new rule about my lists.  The rule is this: For every one thing on my list that I am not excited about doing (like, say, reorganizing my files and tax records) there must be at least two things that I love to do (like, for instance, working in my garden or calling a friend to catch up and reconnect).

That’s right, it’s a minimum two to one ratio, and I suspect after awhile I’m going to wonder why it’s only two to one.  In fact, I’m wondering already!  Forget two to one, the NEW new rule is three to one.  For every single “have to” on my list there will be three “want to’s.” 

Life is too short to spend a lot of time doing things that don’t make you smile.  I challenge you all to take a look at your own lists and make sure you have more than enough on there that will light you up and make today great.  And tomorrow.  And so on! 

Have a Fabulous Day!

–Ann

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

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“Life isn’t about finding yourself.  Life’s about creating yourself.”  –George Bernard Shaw

Hello Fabulous Women!

Excellent branding and design give your business power, effectiveness and reach that it cannot achieve any other way.  Never underestimate the impact of your logo, a great website design and a powerfully presented brand. Whether you are presenting a product, service, or person, branding is a powerful key that can unlock doors.

As I’ve talked about many times, one of the pitfalls of entrepreneurs and business owners is falling into the trap of thinking they can do everything themselves. Well, let me just say it straight right now: You can’t. And, you shouldn’t. Unless you are an expert in design and branding, be smart and don’t try to do it alone. Work with an expert.

For your design, website and branding success, I highly recommend Meg Levine.

Specializing in branding, logos and web sites

Meg is an award-winning Graphic Designer with over 20 years of corporate branding experience. She finds visual ways to capture your brand’s distinct promise and personality and convert these into ownable and memorable branding hallmarks that will differentiate your product, your service and you from your competition.

As an entrepreneur Meg appreciates the demands of other women in business and excels at designing for them, projects ranging from logos and web sites through advertising campaigns. She approaches each project as a partner, giving you the direct, senior-level talent and attention you deserve—but would rarely get from a big agency.

Web resume sites / efolios

For individuals in the job market or consultants marketing their services Meg is now creating web resume efolio sites. In today’s competitive job market, candidates need to differentiate and elevate themselves from other equally qualified people. An efolio designed by Meg Levine, a branding expert, expands the resume and can include items such as testimonials, case studies and photographs. Efolios help visually streamline a prospective employer’s/client’s understanding of an applicant’s value, experience and goals. Combined with a well-written resume, efolio resume sites are powerful online tools that can help a candidate get noticed and hired.

Samples can be viewed online @www.meglevinedesign.com

I look forward to working with Meg on rebranding my coaching business and from our talks so far I find her design expertise and commitment to excellence invaluable in this process. Having a fresh eye, and a designer with 20 years branding experience, is making a huge difference for me. It will for you too.

Special 10% discount offer for you!

As a special offer to all of you, Meg has agreed to give a 10% discounted rate for any project of any size, from logos to an entire website, when referred from me. Isn’t that great?

Contact Meg to discuss your creative and design needs, and mention my name to get your 10% discount.   

Have a fabulous day!

–Ann

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

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” – Benjamin Disraeli 

Hello Fabulous Women!

The 2009 Stevie Awards for Women in Business are now accepting nominations.  This is an amazing opportunity for business women and entrepreneurs to get the recognition they deserve – who do you know that you would like to nominate?

Not familiar with the Stevies?  Read here about the Stevie Award for Women in Business, including past winners, the categories for nominations for individuals and companies and more.  Truly inspiring to see what women around the world are accomplishing to make a difference in so many ways!

If you already know you have someone to nominate, it’s easy, here is the link to the Entry Kit. 

How about yourself or your company?  If you want to be nominated for the Stevie Awards, go ahead, nominate yourself or your company – yes, you can do that!  And why shouldn’t you?  Go for it!

Please spread the word – and the Entry Kit link – to others.  Who knows who will win this year!

–Ann

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

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“Life without purpose is a languid, drifting thing; every day we ought to review our purpose, saying to ourselves, ‘This day let me make a sound beginning.’” – Thomas Kempis

Hello Fabulous Women!

Here’s a wonderful poem, “Promises to Yourself,” that I want to share with all of you.  And I have a suggestion and challenge for you on how to allow this poem to impact your life powerfully.

Read the poem and then choose one promise, right now, that you will deliberately live by today.  Write it down and post it where you can see it, put it in your calendar, email it to yourself – whatever you need to keep it in your mind and life today.

Choose the one that speaks to you right now, the one that makes you smile, or the one that makes you cry, or the one that inspires you, or the one that just sounds like what’s been missing  – you’ll know which one it is.

And then bring that promise to everything you do today, to everyone you meet. 

And see what happens.

Go ahead and read the poem and choose your promise for the day – and at the end you’ll see which one I chose. 

Have a fabulous day – I know I will!

–Ann

Promises to Yourself by Christian D. Larsen

Promise yourself…
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind;

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet;

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them;

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true;

To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best;

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own;

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future;

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile;

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others;

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear; and too happy to permit the presence of trouble;

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds;

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

My Promise for today: To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.

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

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”  –Eleanor Roosevelt

 Hello Fabulous Women!

I recommend this fascinating blog post by Clay Shirky:    Gin, Television and Social Surplus.  It’s a great essay which takes a long look at the far-reaching, still unfoldng effects of the Industrial Revolution through out our society.

I can’t do it justice in summary, but the main concept I find fascinating is what he refers to as social surplus and cognitive surplus.  All the unneeded productivity/energy/creativity that has had to find an outlet and how that is continuing to play out in our society today.

You know when someone takes something we all kind of know is happening and puts it into words that allow us to step back and really look at it?  It’s that kind of article — great food for thought for both my life and my business. 

Please read it and see what you see for yourself.

Have a fabulous day!

–Ann

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

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?” – Robert Schuller

Hello Fabulous Women!

We all have days (or weeks, or longer!) when we just don’t think we can do it.  When the problems seem way bigger than we are.  When the last thing we feel is that we are powerful or effective.  When even surviving seems in question, and thriving seems like a fantasy we can’t even relate to.

It’s not always that way, but maybe some of you are even having that kind of day today. 

If you are, I urge you to remember two things:

You are bigger than you think you are.

You don’t have to do it alone.

Those two things really are the essence of coaching, and why I am a coach.  I know, from my own life, that coaching allows me to step outside my own limited vision of myself and what I’m capable of.  And it forces me to stop trying to do it all on my own – something I should know by now, but it’s been a hard habit to break.  (I was always the queen of “It’s all up to me,” and “I’ve got it handled.”)  But coaching takes me out of that old pattern and frees me to see both how big and unstoppable I really am, and how much help and support is there if I’ll only be open to it.

I recently came across a fabulous clip from a movie, “Facing the Giants,” that captures, in a few minutes, the power of coaching and what becomes possible when you stop believing in the limits you’ve created and start to give it all your very best.

If you do nothing else today, watch this video: Your Very Best   

Give yourself permission to be inspired.And then ask yourself where in your life would coaching make a difference.  Consider scheduling a free coaching session with me, and see what coaching makes possible.  I passionately believe in the power of coaching to change lives, businesses, and the world.  Call me and find out why for yourself.

Have a fabulous day and give it your very best!

–Ann

Entrepreneurial Quote of the Day:

“We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.” – Virginia Satir

Hello Fabulous Women!

If you have heard the new buzz phrase, “personal branding” and are wondering exactly what it means, or if you’ve never heard of it, or if you think it’s something that couldn’t possibly have anything to do with you, please go read this excellent blog post by Heidi Ohlander: Personal Branding is for Everyone.

Heidi does a brilliant job of explaining what personal branding is and why it truly is for everyone, not just entrepreneurs and celebrities.  Yes, everyone – you, your mom, your neighbor – everyone!

–Ann

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