If money wasn’t an issue… what would you do for fun?

When I was going through a difficult time in 2004, after just being laid off yet again… I met the most wonderful person that really helped me during that difficult time. Her name is Tama J. Kieves and she wrote this fantastic book called- This Time I Dance! Creating The Work You Love… (which was just published in a new edition.) A friend I met at an unemployment seminar mentioned Tama to me and asked if I wanted to tag along to a seminar she was giving.

It was the best thing I could have done at that time for myself. Tama is such a dynamic speaker and her story is so inspirational of how she was a Harvard Lawyer and left her corporate job to discover her creative self and develop the livelihood that stirred her soul and paid the bills. I remember sitting in my chair and taking lots of notes and really paying attention to writing down the answers to her fabulous questions like- “if money wasn’t an issue- write down all the things I’d do for fun and that inspire me.” I’ve done this exercise a few more times since then and it’s a wonderful thing to do. If you haven’t tried this yet, I’d encourage you to do it. It’s a bit different from the question- “if you had all the money in the world what would you do with it?” Her question got to a deeper meaning within because I was able to write about what brings me joy and fun and entertainment and the list for me was long! And through that I was really able to focus on what my gifts are and I what my ultimate passion was that would fuel me in my new found career outside of corporate America.

Here’s a photo of Tama and I from last month when I attended her seminar in Montclair, New Jersey.

I realized I have many, many interests and passions. So my work was trying to simply narrow them down so I could get started and do something! Hence I ended up starting my Marketing Implementer business and in turn have helped many new and current business owners and entrepreneurs not only turn their businesses around, but see how they can use their passion in their business and also focus on areas they can reinvent themselves and create more income. Then of course I’m also going down some other paths, with contributing to a book that will be published in June and writing a chapter in another book that will be coming out in the fall. And I’m also focusing more efforts on my photography business and on my coaching women in transition business. I told you I had a lot of passions!

I hope you can gleam from these musings a little inspiration to pay attention and focus on what you love to do. It’s not too late to take your hobby and transition it into a business. “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” This is another one of my favorite quotes. Take a pen out now or open up a word document and start typing the answer. If I can do it- I know you can too! Let me know what’s working for you or if you need any help- I’m here!

P.S. It’s been 23 days since my operation and I just got the ok to wear this really stylish (not!) orthopedic sandal now. So no more boot, and in another week I can wear shoes again- yeah! I feel back to myself now and promise to get back to my weekly posts.

7 Fascinating Discoveries on the Road to Recovery

As I’m laid up these past two weeks, can’t walk or drive, and trying to keep up with my frantic pace of my business I’ve noticed some fascinating discoveries:

1) I’m truly amazed at the human body and how fast it heals after the operation on my foot. (Photo- Here’s my view for the past 2 weeks of my feet )

2) Love my clients, my family, success team and support system- they have been there for me and wonderful while I’m trying to heal. (You know who you are- please accept my eternal gratitude for being in my life.)

3) Shocked at how rude and ridiculous some people can be towards someone on crutches and not let that get in the way of my recovery.

4) With lots of time off my feel, I’m thrilled with all of the great new creative ideas that I’ve come up with that will be fruitful for me and for my clients.

5) Exhausted at all the information I’m getting by phone, mail, email and fax! (it’s been fun hobbling to the phone, fax and mailbox!)

6) Happy that I have such a wonderful, loyal, loving puppy-Lily- who’s been at my side every step of my recovery and will not leave me no matter how hard I try to get her to go with the dog walker. (Photo- Lily- very happy I’m laid up because it gives her an excuse to sleep more while she hangs out with me.)

7) Humbled by working with some incredibly talented people who are teaching me just as much as I am teaching them

There’s a ton more things I’ve noticed while I’ve been laid up, but this was my short list. I’d encourage you to take notice and be present throughout your day and start noticing the little things that add up and make your life incredibly fulfilling.

Instead of being mad, or upset and act like a victim because I had to have this operation and be laid up and not drive for 3 weeks, I looked at it as a new, wonderful discovery period for me. I took and am still taking each day as an adventure and try to simply stay present and focus on my healing and my work. I think when we face these obstacles like a foot injury, a divorce, losing your job, or an accident- if we can ask the question of ourselves- “what am I supposed to learn or discover from this experience?” – we will be in a much better place mentally and even physically. Each obstacle is simply another lesson that we need to learn in life. (Some of this was as a result from finishing reading Eckhart Tolle’s Power of Now. I’d highly recommend it.)
We need to use these lessons as stepping stones to grow and to help others. So the next time something happens to you that makes you unhappy, frustrated, angry or sad- try to ask the question and look deeper at the situation as to what you can learn and take away from it and maybe you can even help others.

Are You Drowning Trying to Get it all done yourself?

Here’s a hot button topic that is making its way back into business news this week… I have to be honest and say that I struggle with this myself. How do I figure out what I can do versus what I can hire other people to do for me?

And I can take this one step further this week, because I had to have some minor surgery on my right foot to repair an old running injury. The bottom line is I have to be off my feet for 7-12 days- no driving, no walking- just bed rest- yikes! And I won’t be walking or much less running for at least 4 weeks- double yikes! Talk about needing help. Now this is taking asking for help to the extreme. Yet, I found that I’m not the kind of person that will ask or even accept help very easily. Now that I’m laid flat out with my feet up, I need help, so it’s been a great lesson for me on finding that balance of accepting and asking for help. (Photo- Me and Lily getting some bed rest.)

When we take this into the business realm, there are a million ways to go about this exercise of delegating your work and hiring other to help you. One way that I know of that’s worked for me is to figure out how much my time is worth- what’s my hourly rate if I were to do this myself? Then go to websites like www.guru.com , www.elance.com , www.sologig.com or www.craigslist.org and see what the going rate is if you hired someone else do to the job for you. These websites are a beautiful thing. You can post the job you have and everyone bids on it and you have a wonderful range of people who will basically do the work for very reasonable amounts of money.

The real trick here is if your hourly rate that clients pay you is over $175 an hour, and you’re taking time out of your day to do simple tasks like input data into your client database, or schedule client calls, if you went on elance or guru you could probably get someone to do either of these tasks for much less than $175 an hour. The key here is to spend your time wisely on what you do best and what will bring you the most bang for your buck and your hourly rate. Hire someone to take care of things that will free up your time so you can spend it on more important things to grow your business.

When you’re in business for yourself, the best thing you can do is think smarter about how you’re running your business. You need to use your talents to your best ability. Hire out others to do the things you know you have no business doing yourself. There’s a terrific book by Tim Ferris, The Four Hour Workweek that I read a few months ago. I would highly recommend you read it, if you haven’t already and implement what he says into your business. He does an excellent job of explaining his whole philosophy about delegating, automating and simplifying your business. Plus he gives you a ton of great resources. Check out his website- www.fourhourworkweek.com

Consider this a wake-up call to be more productive in your business. Hire others to help you, so you can grow your business into the incredible money making machine that you deserve. I’ll be cheering you on from my couch in the coming weeks!