That’s right.  Cut it out.  Too often we spend SO much time LOOKING for something to make us happy.  Make us feel BETTER.  Make us STRONGER.  Make us more WHOLE.  GuessKeynote Speaker Connie Podesta on Happiness what?  It’s not OUT THERE.  It’s right INSIDE you.  Believe it or not you were born with all the key ingredients for happiness, success, strength and wholeness.  Sometimes you’ve got to just dig down and find it.  I’ve found that for a lot of people – the trick to that is to QUIT.  Not give up, mind you, but rather to quit getting in your own way.  Quit doubting.  Quit over-analyzing.  Quit sabotaging yourself. Quit denying yourself the things that you deserve.  Quit playing old tapes of people who told you that you couldn’t, wouldn’t or shouldn’t.

As we head into a new year where people everywhere are making resolutions to quit eating too much, drinking too much, smoking too much and the other bad habits – let’s get to the heart of what will help propel you to become your best you this year.  Quit looking outside for the answers and start looking inside for all the great stuff I know is there.  We’re going to have an incredible year ahead.  We’re going to laugh a lot and learn a lot and discover so much that’s just WAITING for us to explore.

So if you’re ready to quit the bad stuff and embrace the amazing stuff – I’m right next to you all the way!  What do you say?

Connie Podesta

Motivational Speaker

www.conniepodesta.com

“If bombs were falling all around me right now, is there anything I would regret?  Is there anything that I should have done this past year that I haven’t?

Immediately the thought popped into my mind, “You should have talked more on The Value of a Life.”

As a motivational and inspirational speaker I spoke in November of 2011 on how precious the gift of life is, and how every life starts with such wonder and opportunity ahead of it.  As we grow up, I believe our job is to discover just what our purpose is in life and ultimately make the personal contribution to this planet that we are destined for.

Ok… so it’s not like I haven’t put forth a full-fledged effort in trying to fulfill my own purpose and inspire others to do the same.  With that in mind, I showed the film, The Glow Project in my city because I believe whole-heartedly in the importance of living your purpose and being in GLOW!  I’m also about to launch a teleseries on The Master Plan of Achieving Your Goals specifically designed to help people determine what steps are necessary to get to where they want to be in life, and optimize their chances for success.

Yet, somehow, I am still compelled to deliver that message to a wider audience.  It’s as if I haven’t reached everyone who’s meant to hear it… The Value of a Life.

In a recent keynote, I talked about how prescription drugs were robbing our young people of the opportunities that lay ahead for them to discover what they are meant to do with there lives and do it!  But now I’m thinking,

“What about the rest of us who aren’t battling addictions, but still aren’t doing anything to move forward with our lives and make the contribution we are meant to?”

Time is precious… and it’s running out…  So I ask You,

If bombs were falling all around you right now, is there anything you would regret?
Is there anything that you should have done in 2011 that you didn’t?

If you really want to know the answer to that, I challenge you to throw that question out to the Universe, and listen for what pops into your mind immediately.

Then, start off this New Year with that thought as #1 on your “Things To Do” list.

Don’t shut the door on 2011 with important unfinished business that the Universe is bringing to your attention.
For 2012…

• Recognize that your life is valuable, and how you spend it is important.
• Make it a priority  to discover your purpose.
• Begin taking the steps necessary to make Your contribution to this world.
  Start today!

It all begins with a step in the right direction.

“One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, one day at a time. The days turn to weeks and the weeks to months.  Sometimes the months even turn to years, but eventually you will get there. “ -Gail Sullivan

Gail Sullivan is the CEO and founder of BECAUSE WOMEN, a company committed to helping established businesswomen reach the next level of personal and professional success through quality conferences, workshops, forums and events.   With the help of eWomen Publishing, Gail published her first book in 2010 entitled The Yellow Brick Road: A Woman’s Journey to the Edge and Back.  Continuing this theme, Gail is launching a series: The Yellow Brick Road:  Paving your Way to Success, Brick by Brick.  Brick One is a teleseries entitled:  The Master Plan of Achieving Your Goals.  Gail is a Platinum Member of the eWomen Network Chairman’s Circle 2011 – 2012.

Guest Post by Brandy Mychals

Cricket Lee, founder of Fitlogic®, a patented fit system that will revolutionize the way clothing is sized in the fashion industry, attributes much of her success to her daughter.

When Cricket began her development of Fitlogic in 2002, she and her business partner were both single mothers.  Cricket recalls those early days as trying. The first time her company fell apart, in 2003, her partner called it quits.

She suggested that Cricket give up on her vision as well, claiming the concept was “too big” for her and that if Cricket wanted to take care of her daughter, she would have to find something more stable.

“At that moment I had a choice– to either give up and quit or to teach my daughter to go for her dreams and never give up no matter how difficult. I can’t say it’s been easy for us… but when I asked her what she wanted me to do as things got more difficult, she always said: ‘Go for it, Mommy!”

And go for it, Cricket did, researching what would become Fitlogic: an “operating system” for apparel, making it easy for consumers to find their size without the hassle of the fitting room, alterations or returns. Fitlogic will standardize fit from one brand to another regardless of style, price or channel giving women the opportunity to buy the items they like without worrying about whether or not it will “fit” their body.

Not only was Cricket’s daughter her greatest cheerleader, but she was also fundamental to the development of Cricket’s Fitlogic system. Part of the Fitlogic magic is Cricket’s insight that women’s bodies are not all shaped as “hourglasses” as antiquated fashion industry standards have based fit on for decades. Instead, we come in different shapes and apparel should reflect that in order to “fit” correctly. “When I first started, I was using ‘straight’, ‘curvy’, and ‘round’ with square, triangle and circle symbols [to describe different body types.] [My daughter] said: ‘Mommy, no one wants to be called straight!”

Cricket’s daughter– who was then nine years old– offered her this advice: “Why don’t you call it curvy 1, 2 and 3?” The numbering system stuck and is the method Cricket uses to this day to describe the trademarked “shape fit” part of the Fitlogic System.

Cricket’s daughter is now the model for her website, Fitlogic.com. “That was her dream– to be a model. Since she helped make my dream come true, I thought: why not help her create hers?” Cricket’s daughter, now 18 years old, has grown up with Cricket’s business and learned valuable lessons along the way. “She has learned not to place her reliance on material things or people, but to know she is the sole creator of her world and experiences.”

Cricket’s dream to “make women feel good about themselves when they shop in the knowledge that they are perfect just the way they are” is fast becoming a reality. Her first product introduction began this summer at the eWomenNetwork International Conference on July 16th. Kym Yancey, President of eWomenNetwork said: “We are really excited about sharing Cricket’s message and the Fitlogic® System with the more than 500,000 women business owners connected to our International network.” Although Cricket intends to standardize all types of apparel, only pants are available at this time.

Cricket has been featured on the Today Show, the cover of the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fox and Redbook. Often described as a “serial entrepreneur and marketing visionary”, Cricket has created campaigns for British Airways, JCPenny, Ralph Lauren, Ford Models,  Hanes, Saks Fifth Avenue and many others. She holds world patents and 72 awards for Creative Excellence in Advertising including a National Addy Award.

Join Cricket Lee on Success Institute, 9.14.11, at 1:30pm CST as she and Kym Yancey discuss:  Moving a Mountain:  How to Raise Big Money, Attract Top Publicity, & Launch Your Big Dream

This was my FIRST eWomenNetwork Conference!  I know, I know what you are saying – “Girl, you have really been missing something special!”  You would be so right!

Here is some of what I learned:

Women Power – It has been a long time since I immersed myself in women-only activities.  I have many girlfriends, however most of my work has been with men.  I forgot what it was like for someone to say,  “We need a girlfriend over here!” and up rushes more than one person to help, to hug and to offer a hand.

The Importance of Purpose – “There are two days that are important in your life, the day you are born, and the day you figure out Why”.  Sandra Yancey, thank you for that line in your keynote speech!   I know WHY I was born.  In my role as an Executive Recruiter and as an Executive Coach I will certainly use that line!  The power in knowing what you are good at, what you have to sell to others and what you are built to do makes all the difference in how motivated you will be in your life.  When you can answer that question the rest becomes an adventure!

Carry a Credit Card – After an evening of Chocolate Decadence you might find, as you are walking back to your room, the opportunity to speak to someone you wanted to connect with at the Conference.  For me it was Marcia Wieder!  There is something about her that just glows.  And as the universe would have it, she just happened to be in the lobby sitting there and available.  She still had space in one of her wonderful workshops, an enrollment form in her tiny little purse and I happened to have my credit card securely tucked in my Spanx!  I am grateful for the moment to connect with Marcia Wieder and for remembering to carry a credit card.

Structure will Set you Free – Thank you Lisa Sasevich!  I know for myself that I love spontaneity and the ability to change priorities as I see fit.  Lisa’s main stage presentation showed me the value of structure and the flexibility to be spontaneous all in the same moment.  She helped me remember that “you cannot ask others to invest in you at a greater level than you are willing to invest in yourself.”  While our many family members back home think we are off at the Conference playing, it really was a BIG week of investing, absorbing all that you can learn and remembering that a commitment of time and resources can set you free.

New Friends – You meet the most amazing people, like Dr. Michelle Robin the author of “Wellness on a Shoestring” and the founder of Your Wellness Connection, a healing center in Kansas City.  I met Nikkea Devida, founder of Accelerated Results Expert, a songwriter and a female veteran. Nikkea‘s heart has been moved to write a tribute song to female veterans. She would like to sell the song and have all the proceeds go to the eWomenNetwork Foundation to help the women’s veterans initiative.  These are just two of the women I met who instantly made a difference in my life and in the moment of knowing them.

Sell Your Thing – It is not enough to be knowledgeable about what we do for a living. It is important as well to teach others to do what we do and better yet, make money doing it!  All the speakers provided us with great content, great ideas, great advice and they were all willing to teach us what they do and how they do it.  It made me reflect on the eWomenNetwork saying, “lift as you climb”.

I am back home and busy creating product offerings that I can share with my client companies and with my executive coaching clients.  My new post-Conference focus is to teach my clients the process I utilize to find the absolutely RIGHT Person to Hire and the absolutely RIGHT Job Fit.  Even though I have recruited for companies ranging from Coca-Cola and Dell Computer to smaller companies with fewer than 50 people, I never once thought about selling them the process I use rather than the service I provide.  I LOVE the thought of teaching others how to do what I do!

Thank you Sandra and Kym Yancey for your vision, for your commitment to excellence in all things and for your willingness to bring us those who will put a hand out and help others along the way.

Vikki Loving is a Platinum Member of the Chairman’s Circle

Gail Sullivan, Founder & CEO of  BECAUSE WOMAN, LLC

Philanthropy… The Missing Link in Your Business?

I recently attended a businesswomen’s luncheon on “Giving Matters” and heard one of our community’s most distinguished philanthropists state, “The joy of living is in the joy of giving”.

Surely you have heard the old adage that is sometimes described as the Principle of Giving:

“Give and it will come back to you – good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”

Many of the happiest and wealthiest individuals that I have met over the last several decades have commented that the “key” to their success has been in their generous giving.

Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way, and that’s why philanthropy is one of my company’s key components.   Consider the following ways to add value to your company through giving, and watch for the positive returns

5 Ways to Add Philanthropy to Your Business Plan

1. Put together a Philanthropic Budget.

Consider setting aside a portion of your monthly business income to be specifically used for philanthropy.  There is a vast range of non-profit organizations in every community that could use your help.  Every gift, great and small will be considered a blessing.

It’s so easy to say, “ I don’t have any money.” But then, when I think of how easy it is to waste dollars at a time on things that don’t really matter (like those daily fancy coffee drinks that are filled with calories that I’m trying to avoid or the newest office supplies that are bought in excess and never used). Contrary to all that, my philanthropic giving can help organizations achieve something that really does matter.  You know what?  I’m embarrassed that I haven’t given more and more often.  Now is the time to change that!

Not enough cash flow?  Consider budgeting your philanthropic services.  501c3 organizations always appreciate service gifts.  For example, the local catering company caters 2 big non-profit fundraising events a year; a florist supports her favorite charity by providing the centerpieces for their annual fundraising event; and an entrepreneur of a local hair salon provides free haircuts, on the Saturday before school starts, to kids in a lower income neighborhood. What an awesome way to contribute!

2. Volunteer.

Philanthropy can also be in the form of service. Consider volunteering to help out at an annual event for a cause that you are passionate about.  This is something that you can do personally as well as getting your employees involved.  You will be amazed at how many people will join with you in your efforts to give back to the community.

For the last several years I have joined our local Boys and Girls Club to help hand out gifts to the children at their annual Christmas party.  The first year my two daughters joined me.  The following year several co-workers decided to come with me and continue to give to this day. Eventually the company I worked for became a sponsor of one of their annual events. It appears that philanthropy can be contagious.

3. Master the layups.

There are many community organizations that provide some of the most basic essentials for people in need.  All of us can make a huge difference just by consistently giving our gently worn clothing to the Goodwill, or extra food to the local food bank.  Consider having a seasonal giving drive for these events right in your office.  Allow clients to participate and accept donations as well. These are easy layup shots that any business can incorporate.

4. Take it to the next level.

Do you sometimes feel that your gift is so small and wonder what good could it possibly do?  A giving “team” boosts donation dollars to the next level. That’s right, get others involved… family, friends, co-workers, clients and even prospects. Does your company hold any type of annual event?  Consider adding a raffle in which all the proceeds go to a chosen non-profit group or cause.  Allow all attendees the opportunity to participate.

I recently held a company event and had determined to give a percentage of the income to a local cause.  I was disappointed when I realized how small that donation would be. I decided to brainstorm about how I could give more. I took a third of the money I was going to give and bought an amazing raffle prize for the event and announced where the proceeds were going.  The donation ended up being almost 3X what I was originally going to donate. Bravo!

5. Never underestimate the value of a small gift, and don’t hold back on giving a larger gift when you know the time is right.

“Despise not the day of small things!” Everyone starts somewhere. Become a consistent giver in the small opportunities that exist, and over time, you may develop into an experienced, generous philanthropist.

As you begin making philanthropy a key component in your company, begin to notice what happens.  Time and time again, I end up with so much more in return.  The effects are amazing!  The people I work with seem happier.  Somehow, this “giving” component allows for something great to occur in the workplace.  Goodwill manifests itself and my clients and prospects like that.  My business begins to change, for the better.  I feel like I begin to change for the better. And all this just makes me want to give more.

Recent research also shows that there is a correlation between philanthropic giving and sales.  (Network for Business Sustainability, Use corporate philanthropy to grow your top and bottom line, Source:  Strategic Management Journal, How corporate charitable contributions enhance revenue growth. (2009) Baruch Lev, Christine Petrovits and Suresh Radhakrishnan)

If you are attending the eWomenNetwork Conference in Dallas this month, you will witness firsthand the impact of generous giving.  Throughout the year there are many opportunities to give to the eWomenNetwork Foundation.  You will be inspired at how your philanthropic contributions can accomplish great things!

Gail Sullivan is a Platinum Member of the Chairman’s Circle

Your net-worth will never exceed your self-worth.

Ali Craig - My Business BFF

Let me clarify: when I say self-worth I do not mean self-esteem. And I don’t mean self-efficacy. Self-esteem is a psychological term about your appraisal and evaluation of yourself in terms of your belief and your emotions. Low self-esteem means you think badly and negatively about yourself; high self-esteem means you think well and positively about yourself. The presupposition is that there is a “self” already there for you to think negatively or positively about. What is more, self-esteem is based on your own self-appraisal and self-evaluation. It is based on what you are saying to yourself. Self-efficacy is your belief that you can accomplish a particular goal. Both Self-esteem and self-efficacy are self-determined.

Self-worth, as I am using the term, is based on valuation. Valuation is a finance term, an ethics term, a property term, and a philosophical term with regard to personal valuation: dignity. Valuation is not dependent on internal measures; valuation is determined by outward assessment of an asset to a particular group, community, or market. When I am working with my clients, they don’t have a clue about the value they bring to all the lives they touch. Neither did I. I did not know my value so my sense of self-worth was completely skewed. I would give my services away for free, date people I had to convenience that I deserved respect, and kept friends around me that made me feel like cramp. I would only buy second hand clothes from Retheads and the Goodwill because I did not want to waste money on frivolous things. If I did not need it to survive, then it was a luxury. And all of the affirmations in the world where not helping me change my company or my behaviors. I thought I was going crazy: was I just a glutton for punishment? Was I out to sabotage myself? Was I mentally tied to my broken past?

When people focus on self-esteem and self-efficacy, they are looking inward for evidence that they are good and capable. But if you think you are a looser or stupid, how effective will it be to keep going to that well? When you shift your focus to self-worth you begin to look outside of you for evidence that your brain can believe. Have you ever noticed that no matter what anyone else tells you, you believe what you truly think, deep down inside? So short of spending thousand of dollars on someone’s coach, on self-help books or in program after program, perhaps its time to flip the script.

Please be clear: if you are not well, then please get professional help. This conversation is not for people are not well or who are clinically depressed; this conversation is for those of us who are disappointed and disheartened with life. We thought life would look a certain way or we would be further along than we are or we would have married someone rich. But life said no. Now we are making due: some areas are good, most are “OK” and others are just “fine.” I am speaking to successful, well people who are willing to do the real internal work to go from good to great and from great to exceptional.

Here are three Net-worth through Self-Worth strategies that will reveal to you your self-worth and move you forward in fulfilling your destiny:

1. Mirror Mirror: Go to a mirror in your house and if you are committed to immediate results do this in the buff. Stand in the mirror and utter the most powerful statement in the universe: I am. First you will notice how distracted you are with your nose or a pimple. Stay with it. Be with all of your imperfections. Accept them. Breath through them. Don’t give up on you. Stay with you. You are training your brain to not bailout on you. Say “I am._____” and keep saying it until you are moved to tears by who you are. Say as many “I ams” as you can think of. Let your body feel the sensations as you rebirth you to yourself. If you can speak you powerfully looking yourself in the eye and really connecting to you, you create new brain patterns of recognition of who you are for yourself. By so doing you bring dignity to yourself for yourself. Personal valuation.

2. What would your life look like if…: Pick 5 to 10 people you know who love you. Give each of them a call and or have lunch with them. Ask this question: what would your life look like if I had never been in it?” And sit back and learn the value you have brought to their lives. This is a life-changing exercise. It is the one that put me on the path of knowing my worth. Write it down for future reference.

3. Identify your angels, advocates, and ambassadors: For success in business and in life you need people who are not you or your family members to champion you to yourself through their actions and the world. I call them my Triple As: your angel takes care of you, has your back, and provides gifts and assistance based on what you will give the world through your genius. My angel is Kym Yancey, the President of eWomenNetwork.

Kym Yancey - My Angel

Lisa Nichols - My Advocate

Michele De-Kinder Smith - My Ambassador

With all the love my heart can hold…

Join Dr. Venus Opal Reese on the eWomenNetwork Success Institute as she discusses “Breaking the Inner Glass Ceiling:  5 Secrets to Big Money and a Life that Defies Impossible!” 1:30pm CST, July 5, 2011

Everyone seems to be teaching the secret to realizing our dreams. The main ingredients are usually:

But if it were that easy, wouldn’t we all have what we want?

These ingredients are great, and I use them in my coaching and personal life. But why is it there are times that amazing opportunities and unexpected collaborations open up for me with no effort, then there are other times when I am clear about my vision yet find myself struggling, pushing hard to make forward progress and getting nowhere?

As I was considering this dichotomy, I noticed a woodpecker working diligently on building his home. I’d seen him earlier in the week, but today he was about to reinforce a simple (but not so easy) lesson.

This determined woodpecker seemed to know exactly what he wanted. He was working hard, that’s for sure. But there appeared to be no urgency in his actions even though his project was taking what I thought was a long time to complete.

If he experienced any type of obstacle, I was not aware of it. He just continued on, accepting exactly where he was at every moment. I knew he wasn’t thinking “I have so much to do, and how in the world am I going to get it all done?” or “I don’t know if I can reach my goal.”

Our capacity as humans to feel emotions and question our process is unique to our species. It can come in handy at times, but it can also cause us to struggle, force, worry and control when there’s something we want but don’t have. Resistance is the opposite of acceptance. When you truly accept what is without judgment, you have no resistance. When you have no resistance, a space opens for creative solutions, and your inspired action step will appear.

You can ask yourself — on a scale from 1-10, how much energy am I spending resisting or trying to control my outcome? Acknowledging the truth, the reality of our situation, often brings up uncomfortable feelings, which is the main reason we find ourselves in denial, resisting or pretending we are somewhere else. But avoiding our feelings just creates more resistance, which pushes us further away from realizing our dreams.

Accepting where we are allows us to relax, which naturally creates a pause in our attempts to control. That’s when the magic happens; when “invisible doors” to what’s next are revealed with ease.

I’m sharing my lesson from the woodpecker with you, what I am calling The Woodpecker’s Secret to Getting What You Want:

1. Know what you want (you may find that it is already hard-wired in you)
2. Accept exactly where you are right now (don’t judge it, just accept it)
3. The next door opens naturally (an inspiration, idea, phone call, person)
4. Then you take action …

Simply continue to repeat these steps from your new vantage point. And just like the woodpecker, knowing what you want and feeling acceptance with where you are assures that what you want is coming your way.

Connect with Kim Griffith at eWomenNetwork or

The Wellness Way

What is it?

That doing what you love doesn’t pay the big bucks: that in order to make *serious money, in order to live prosperously, you have to sell out, buy in, or give up. This is an outrageous lie! In fact, it’s crazy.

It’s a lie we’re told by others, and one that (left unchecked) we repeat frequently to ourselves. Here’s what the lie sounds like:

“I’d love to do that, but there’s no money in it.”
“If I didn’t have to think about money, I’d….”
“I could never make this kind of money doing anything else.”

People who don’t understand the relationship between their Life Purpose and their Money Purpose usually begin this myth, often quite innocently, out of ignorance. It’s usually perpetuated by:

• Those who don’t have a role model for what it looks like to love what you do, and get paid handsomely for it
• Scaredy-cats who will risk anything but change
• People who cling to the same scarcity mentality they were raised with
• Individuals who aren’t aware of, or who haven’t yet embraced the notion that we, alone, are responsible for our own success.

There is a direct and profound positive correlation between your passion for your work, and your ability to make money at it. To say that you can’t make money at something you love is crazy-thinking. And it’s just plain wrong.

Consider this: If you’re doing as well, financially, as you are when you’re merely tolerating your work, imagine how prosperous you’ll be when you love what you do and can’t wait to get to your office in the morning. Now that’s something worth pondering.

Money, in and of itself, should never be your end goal. If it is, you’ll spend a good part of your life chasing, but never catching it. Your Money Purpose is the way YOU were meant to make money in the world. It’s your unique job or role that you’re supposed to do, (in fact that you were deliberately designed to do); that will give you more money than you can get by working in any other job or role.

What’s more, when you identify your money purpose and use it to create your ideal job, career or business you will be the happiest, most passionate, creative and joyous version of yourself possible. Did I mention that it’s much easier to make money when your job aligns with your money purpose, than any other way?

You can read a lot more about this in Chapter #7 (When Your Life Calls, Answer It!) in my book, Impact! What Every Woman Needs to Know to Go From Invisible to Invincible.

Here’s what I want you to know, what I want you to remember every day for the rest of your life. Just because something hasn’t been done before, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. It just means that no one’s had the insight or the courage to try. Why not be the first?

*(BTW: Serious money might be $50K, $500K, $5M or whatever number erases your financial concerns.)

Join Nancy D. Solomon on Success Institute, March 15, 2011 at 1:30pm CST to learn how to “Turn YOUR Potential Into Profit”

Original Post from The Solomon Factor Blog

We get it.  You work  from home, so you have a free pass to spend the day in your pajamas behind the computer while juggling loads of laundry and dishes, right? Wrong.  Fair warning, we are about to be on our soapbox and hold you accountable for the way you operate your business.  If that makes you uncomfortable…. read on, anyway because we’re calling you out and that means you need it. (Yes, English teacher, we are using the word YOU today.)

With the evolution of the office (thank you, technology), so has come the evolution of opportunities for women, particularly moms, entering the workforce.  Put that in a blender with the recent economy, and find for the first time ever that more women are beginning entrepreneurial endeavors than men.  The fact is, we really can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan… and do the family taxi-driving, chef duty, housekeeping, bookkeeping, teacher, tear-wiper, nose-wiper, and you get-the-idea-all-at-the-same-time.  BUT, if you want to be more than just slightly successful in the bank account department, you must define boundaries for your work space.  Physically and emotionally.

If you are working to serve your purpose (and you should), protect that.  We are guessing that most you you are not energized or empowered by laundry or scheduling the garage door repair.  We also know that if you really are working to your highest potential, your hourly rate is likely higher than the cost of outsourcing house management tasks.  Plus, you can feed the economy by employing another person who IS asking for that kind of work.  Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.  That is applicable in both your personal life, and your business.

We are calling it like it is here.  There is no excuse for you to be doing anything in your personal life or your professional career that does not serve your strengths, talents, personal joy, or legacy.  We coach in detail about how to do this, but suffice it to say, if you are truly ready to be successful, joyful, and fulfilled, we know this is true.

And another thing!  Since we are on our soapbox, we have to say it that way.  If you want to be successful, you must ACT successful.  Expect it.  You wouldn’t go to a corporate sales meeting in sweats, so why go to your Starbucks meeting, or even Skype meeting like that?  If you are networking, Get UP, dress the part, and put on a little lip gloss!

Our encouragement to you today is to respect yourself first, so you have the authority to demand that respect from others.  If you want your family, friends, colleagues, prospective bosses, or potential customers to take you seriously, act like you work.  Because you do.

Stepping down now….

Connect with Aly and Andrea at eWomenNetwork

Original Post @ Rock Star U

In my 22+ years in business, I’ve seen so many talented service-based professionals enduring a never-ending struggle to attract more clients. They often squander the few opportunities they have with viable prospects, by not being able to talk about their own value in a way that connects with their market.

Here are some simple tips that will ensure your success as a client magnet:

1. Connect Emotionally First and Logically Later

Prospects for your services want to get a FEELING about you and your practice or consultancy.

The easiest and most direct way to do this is to tell them your “Branding Story”, using compelling language, laden with emotionally-connecting sound bites, that hit both sides of their brain at once.

Get real good at telling the “story” of your value (using compelling words and visuals that convey the essence and energy of your business). Your messaging needs to confidently convey your value, experience and unique style to those in need of your services.

2. Share the “Experience of Your Value and the Value of Your Experience”

Give people thinking about hiring you a direct experience of your work, in the form of a complimentary consultation. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your value in real-time; and it will give your prospective client a chance to see how it feels to actually be working with you.

Once you capture their imagination (the hallmark of charismatic people) and they feel comfortable working with you, they will feel an instant resonance and in their gut they will want to hire you.

3. Inspire Confidence

Most don’t realize it, but confidence is the number one reason people buy or choose anything.

People will never buy into feelings of doubt or uncertainty—yours, or theirs.

If you don’t believe in yourself and your own value as a service-based professional, how will your potential clients ever feel confident enough to buy from you? Your whole being must confidently exude that you offer the best solutions for their specific problems.

4. “We Convince by Our Presence”…Walt Whitman

Present people seem totally focused on whomever they are with.  They seem to possess an enviable peace about themselves and to have nothing to prove.

They make people feel like they are their only client in the world.

They are totally with people in the present moment, with no agenda (attention focused on a desired future outcome) and they truly want what’s in the best  interest of their clients.

5. Become More Likeable

In his terrific book, author Tim Saunders shares “The 4 Keys to Likeability” and they are: Friendliness, Relevance, Empathy and Realness. Develop these 4 personality strengths and you’ll have a much easier time attracting people who may become your clients in the future.

6. Position Yourself as an Expert in Your Field

Brand-building is about consciously creating the “perceptions” you want people to have of you and your practice.

Position yourself as an expert by writing articles, blogs and newsletters and by developing first class marketing materials that highlight your expertise and experience.

Learn how to expertly articulate the many things that you know and how others could benefit from it.

7. Enhance Your Charismatic Influence—It’s Your Very Best Attractor Factor

Charismatic people throughout history have possessed the unique ability to capture the imagination of others and inspire them to be supportive and devoted to a cause. Charismatic people know how to instantly create trust and rapport and can quickly influence others to see things their way.

Don’t Miss Ellen Looyen October 5, 2010 on Success Institute as she discusses “The Client Attractor Factor: 7 Steps for Attracting Your Ideal Clients.” REGISTER HERE.