Smart Women, Skiing and Entrepreneurial Success

One morning last week, I was helping my 11 year-old son, Jack, get ready for a day of skiing during our family vacation. It was sunny, 55 degrees and gorgeous outside. I handed my son his face mask and he looked at me puzzled and said, “Mom, there is no way I’m going to need this today–have you looked outside?”

I replied, “Yes, I have and you always need to be prepared for a quick change in the weather when you are on the mountain.” As I prepared myself to leave for skiing that morning, I began to reflect on how being prepared for snow skiing is a lot like preparation for success as a woman entrepreneur.

When you desire a successful day of skiing, there needs to be some planning before you get on the chair lift. You need to stop and think about all of the things you will need in order to have a successful day (This is why ski clothing has so many pockets!). If you’re a woman who skis, you know that the weather can change at any given moment so you need to pack accordingly. If you choose to go skiing without thoughtful preparation, you may be in for a challenging day.

As I rode up the chair lift that morning, I thought of 5 solutions to help you have a great day of skiing and achieve success as a woman entrepreneur:

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Smart Women And Their Relationship With Money

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend the day strategizing with a group of smart women entrepreneurs from different parts of the world. It was an energizing day focused on topics such as effective marketing, clear messaging to attract your ideal client, time management and money.

At one point, women were expressing the challenges they face in getting everything accomplished each day including running a business, managing a family, and hopefully time to squeeze in a little self-care.

I shared with the group that when I’m in the office, I ask myself three questions to help me stay focused and directed on making money in my business:

1. Where is the potential for new business?
2. Are my private clients and groups experiencing award winning results?
3. Have I reached out to my referral sources this week?

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Smart Women Avoid The Perils of Being Queen of Their Castle

One of the most exciting parts about being a woman entrepreneur is you become “queen of your own castle.” You sit on the throne in your tower (sometimes referred to as the corner of the dining room table) making decisions for your domain (your solo-business) and over time, this can become a lonely existence. It’s not easy making all the decisions by yourself and it’s possible that your decisions are not as creative or innovative as they might be if you had a supportive group of people around who care about your success.

In my work, I’ve discovered that women find asking for help risky as they see it as a sign of weakness. They create a belief that they are the only ones having a struggle and this could not be further from the truth. Everyone is questioning some aspect of their business. Whether it’s to attract more clients, increase their income or expand their programs and services – women entrepreneurs have many of the same challenges.

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Smart Women and the “WIIFM” Factor

Do you know what “WIIFM” stands for? Sure you do! You ask yourself this question every time you think about making an investment or purchase - “What’s In It For Me?” We purchase everything based on the “benefits” that we will receive when we use the service or product.

Let me give you an example: Last week, I purchased a new bicycle because I want to start taking long bike rides with my family. There was one benefit I was looking for with the purchase of this new bike: comfort. It had to be comfortable. When I finally found the bike that met my comfort requirement I was delighted, however right next to it was a bike that was a beautiful shade of purple which made my heart skip a beat. I sampled both bikes and in the end bought the bike that was a shade of silver because it was clearly the most comfortable ride. The color was a “feature” not a “benefit” for me. Remember the greatest “benefit” for me was comfort.

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What Smart Women Can Learn From Einstein About Reaching Goals

My favorite quote by Einstein is “Vision without execution is merely hallucination.” The first time I read this I was surprised at the glaring truth to this simple statement. At the same time, I realized it’s sometimes easier said than done.

Goal setting, New Year’s resolutions, dreams, and big ideas-these are heavy on people’s minds right now as we cross the threshold into 2012. Everyone wants to make up for lost time and start off the year on a course to reach their biggest goals and why not? It’s a leap year which makes it even more exciting to think about soaring to new heights. I’m right there with you. I, too, have big ideas, dreams and goals.
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Smart Women Step Into Their Gift

Today, I wanted to give you something special, yet practical, that you could use right away to create momentum in your business and positive energy in your life as you step into 2012.

In my work with women, one of the essential exercises we do together is peel back the layers of their lives both personally and professionally to explore and discover their “gift” or what I sometimes refer to as their “genius.” You may be reading this and thinking, “I don’t know what my gift is” or “I don’t have a gift.” You do have a gift. You have genius inside You.

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Smart Women Take The Leap

The other day, I was listening to one of Madonna’s great dance tunes, “Jump.”  It’s a fun song that makes me want to jump up and dance around the room.  It also motivates me into thoughts about the “jump” in my own life–to take the leap to the next level.  This got me thinking about how Smart Women take the leap into realizing their Big Ideas, Dreams, and Goals.

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Smart Women and the Race Against Time

Over the last few days, I’ve spent some time with women entrepreneurs who are all having the same challenge—the race against time or “time management.” Whether you are an attorney, a fitness professional or a business coach, time is the like the elusive lover—you can never get enough! Here are a few comments I heard over the last few days:

– “I’m never able to get it all done.”
– “I can’t figure out which “to-do” should be done first.”
– “It only takes 10 minutes.”

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What Smart Women Learn in the Recovery Room

A few weeks ago, I had surgery to remove one of my healthy kidneys in order to donate that kidney to my husband Greg, 12-17-09Article whose kidney was failing, so that he would enjoy a more vital, healthy life. On December 1, we both were admitted to UCLA Medical Center. Everything went well regarding the surgery, however, when I woke up in the recovery room later that day and became aware of my surroundings, I felt restrained and an overall feeling of loss of control. As the hours went by (and the pain meds began to wear off!) I realized there were 4 “obstacles” that I needed to overcome in my journey to again feel in control of my life. The 4 “obstacles” were: forced oxygen, a catheter, an IV in my arm, and being strong enough to stand up and walk without assistance. This got me thinking about how Smart Women need to overcome the “obstacles” in their lives in order for them to be in control of their destiny.

As women, we can sometimes carry a heavy load of responsibility. We are nurturers by nature. We tend to say “Yes” more than “No.” Over time, some of the roles and responsibilities you take on no longer serve you well and can become “obstacles”. There have been times in my life that I’ve felt as if I was being held captive to some of the roles and responsibilities in my life. What are possible “obstacles” right now in your life?

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Are You Tapping Into Your Creativity?

Hey Smart Women! Can you believe February, the “Passion” month, is almost over? Each week this month, I have shared a “passion tip” to support you in having a relationship with the most important person you know: YOU! The first week was Mind, the second week was Body, last week it was Relationships, and this week my final tip is on Creativity.

Passion Tip: In my work with women, one area that can get neglected or dropped off the “to-do” list is nurturing your Creativity. Stimulating your creativity is an essential part of feeling alive. It helps you “problem solve” in a much more effective way and feeds your mind with new ideas and new ways of looking at the world.

Place a large colorful coffee mug on your desk and fill it with an array of colorful pens. 02-26-09pencilsI have a big lavender mug on my desk filled with pens in many colors. Color sparks creativity!

Another tip is Journaling. Many of the women I work with in my Success Circles journal their thoughts and have found this to be a way to spark their creativity. You can begin with 5 minutes a day and it brings great rewards.

My Mom is in town for a week and we are thrilled. We’ve had a great time together and she is enjoying reconnecting with Jack and Jenna. My heart is full of gratitude. I know this time with my Mom is truly a “gift.”

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Smart Women and The Academy Awards

Like millions of people all over the world, my family watched the Academy Awards on Sunday night. 02-26-09redcarpetPeople watch “the Oscars” for different reasons. Some people watch because they enjoy the fashion show and like to see the costume choices. Some people watch because they can’t wait to see who won which category. I watch for one reason: I like to listen to the acceptance speeches. You learn a lot about people by listening to what they say in their acceptance speech. This is a moment that may or may not ever come again and it is one of the most watched events of the year, so you have a big audience in which to share your message.

Although I don’t often go to the movies, I was fortunate enough to see the movie that won best picture, “Slum Dog Millionaire.” As I listened to the acceptance speech for this amazing film, there were some really valuable “golden nuggets” that were shared that reminded me of my work with Smart Women who are ready to re-invent themselves and take their lives to the next level:

During the acceptance speech, the director used a few key words to describe their journey to realizing their dream of making this important film:

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Smart Women’s Manifesto

Hey Smart Women! It’s been a rainy week here in Los Angeles. I actually love rain. It clears the air, and the sky becomes so crystal clear. We’re 50 days into 2009. Are you “crystal clear” on your Big Idea, Dreams and goals yet this year?

Last Sunday, my good friend Kathy, came by for a visit and it was really nice. You know what was nice about it? There was no agenda, no plan—just two women getting together to spend some time catching up. The “catching up” led to dinner with wine, finished off with hot chocolate that Greg made—he makes the best hot chocolate! This leads me right into my Passion Tip for you this week. Remember, for the first week my tip was for your Mind, the second tip last week was for your Body, and this week it’s Relationships.

Passion TipPassion Tip for the week – Make sure that you are creating the space and time in your life to reconnect with those people in your life who are “nutritious” friends. How do you know if a friend is “nutritious?” Do they make you laugh those great big belly laughs? Do you feel completely comfortable in their presence? Do you lose track of time when you are with them? If so, see these people more often. These people believe in you, your dreams and your passions. Also, take time to reconnect with yourself each day. Check-in with the person who knows you better than anyone. Give yourself a big hug!

On Tuesday, I was fortunate to gather with my Women’s Alumnae Circle. It was an insightful morning full of conversation about manifesting dreams and intentions. If you can visualize what you want in life with crystal clarity, it can become a reality for you.

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