Journey to the Joy of Truth

Never Forget, Winning Spiritually Comes First

Managing Negativity with the 4 R's

Negativity sucks!

Negative thoughts, Negative people, negative messages, negative images... negative, negative, negative, negative. See, even reading the word negative too much creates an energy of adversity. Phew! My belief is that negativity sucks so we all need to manage it.

The word has such a super wicked vibe that I advocate using the 4 R's to help manage negativity.

4 R's to Manage Negativity - Remove, Replace, Recast, & Revive

Remove - negative people from your life. Negative people are an energy drain. They create static in your mental and physical space that will cut you off from your focus and undermine the work you've done to get yourself moving in a positive direction.

Replace - your own negative thoughts with positive affirmations, images, and messages. Yes you need to continually affirm the positive in your life. Your mind is the most important tool you have because there's nothing that exists that wasn't a thought first. You can think your way to what you want. Why? Because you've done it before. You do it everyday and you're doing it right now.

Recast - something that you're seeing as negative into a positive light. (don't' push for this, only apply this if it doesn't violate the 1st two R's)

Revive - yourself with self care that restocks your energy, your spirit, and shifts your mindset toward loving kindness. Indulge in hot soaks, massages, nails and hair done, read a good book, or do some yoga. The point is to do something that focuses your energy on you and taking care of yourself... well!

When you're feeling sluggish or ill at ease I suggest that you do a spot check for negative energy on your life.

Practicing the 4 R's will help you clear up negative energy and move forward in living a life of satisfaction. 

24 years as an Entrepreneur - What I've Learned on my Journey

 

I've been an entrepreneur for quite a while, but I didn't eagerly and authentically enter the ranks. In the beginning, as my income increased, I thought I needed to have a place to write off things so I could save on my taxes, so I followed the advice of an accountant and created a business. Yep, that's the whole truth!  

 

Years ago, when that 1st business, Strictly Kids Decorating, failed, it was because I was a great technician (talented as all get out) but didn't know a thing about being a CEO. I painted tromp l'oiel murals on walls in homes and businesses and I enjoyed seeing the delight in people's eyes when I transformed a wall from bland to vavoom!  I learned what I think is my most valuable lesson: 80% of business success is found in becoming a strategic, creative and intuitive CEO.

 

Then my 2nd business folded because I thought friendship would protect us.  Lesson learned: never enter business with friendship terms of agreement.  Create specific and clear partnership terms that include how a dissolution agreement. 

 

Now for my third business, The School of Profit - devoted to helping entrepreneurs market, sell and launch the right way, which I've been the CEO of for 10 years, I remembered the many lessons I learned over the years and decided I would treat my business like I wanted to and knew how to succeed and I started with respecting my values and my mission to serve and support others to create meaningful change and achieve their dreams. I did what I continue to do to this day, I studied, learned and implemented best practices and I continue to reap the fruits of my labor.  

 

Here are my top 24 lessons learned from 24 years as an entrepreneur:

1. Mindset is everything. What you believe and how you think will determine whether or not you succeed.
2. 80% of business success is found in becoming a strategic, creative and intuitive CEO.
3. You don’t get paid for your time, you’re paid for your expertise and the quality of experience you help your client consistently achieve.
4. It's not about the money your gift is present to benefit others
5. Before you gain momentum, you have to experience the moment. Success is comprised of every little thing you do added together over time. Be strategic. Keep going.
6. loving what you do causes everything that happens on your journey to have value
7. You start with talent then combine talent with focused training in the craft which leads to mastery.  Mastery has many levels. As your mastery grows, your confidence grows and thus, your business achieves ever evolving success.
8. There are 3 essential keys to growing your business:
   1. mindset 2. strategy 3. action  Tend to each area with focus and commitment and you can't help but succeed!
9. Trust your gut - let your intuition sit in the head chair at all of your meetings and brainstorming sessions.
10. Whatever you don't know and need to know, learn it. Everything else delegate to someone smarter than you.
11. Plan like the tortoise that knows when to run like the hare
12. Play with Fear on the Field - move forward especially when you're afraid.  The benefits will BLOW your mind
13. Put an end point on the timeline for your dream. Assess where you are and whether or not you want to keep going in that direction. You can alway stop if you want to.
14. There is no shame in making money as you serve other. Money is a tool for good. 
15. Invest to become the best.  Hire a coach, get a mentor who is 10 steps ahead of you.
16. Think creativity and compliment not competition and copy.
17. Be a laser beam and not a floodlight - get clear, make a plan and stay focused as you master one thing at a time.
18. The best expert knows how and when to be a great student.
19. Know what value you bring to the room.  Never apologize for how you've grown.
20. Serve with S.O.U.L. Serve Others with Unlimited Love.
21. Get used to pivoting
22. Create a plan. Add a healthy dose of flexibility and be ready to adapt, improvise and overcome.
23. Don't put all your eggs in one revenue stream. Diversify
24. Practice self care...often
25. BONUS - make paying yourself a priority!

If you're in the first 5 years of your entrepreneurial journey, I used to be right where you are.  I share these lessons learned to encourage you and inspire you to keep going!  Along the way, I made quite a few mistakes, but hey, that's part of what gives me the cahoones to help and support others to achieve their entrepreneur dreams!

What's your success story?  Share your lessons learned below.

Remember, life is precious.  Do your happy dance. Enjoy Life!

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How to Combine Purpose with Profit

If you're anything like me, you love to serve inspired by your purpose. You're passionate about helping people over come challenges and live a better life. You probably thrive on the feeling you get when someone says "Thank you! I couldn't have done this without you."

 

I get it. I'm the same way.

 

However, many entrepreneurs struggle with how to combine purpose with passion, and not feel guilty about it.

 

Although I've been an entrepreneur for 20 years, it was only in the last 7 years that I began to embrace what this picture says:  

"I am a Holistic entrepreneur.  My love, life, work and spirituality are not separate.  I would only make one addition, my finances aren't separate either." 

Many Holistic or purpose centered coaches/entrepreneurs experience what I call the "purpose vs. profit" conundrum. 

A great deal of conflicted energy is expressed  about earning a living and receiving compensation for the work they do.  As if the work of helping people become more of who they really are should be valued at less than helping someone do their taxes.

We live in a society that has a system of compensation for services and we are well served when we stop creating resistance and accept the flow of the system. Because the work we do is no less honorable than the work of the accountant, the doctor or the street sweeper.

Over the past several years I have put in a significant amount of study and transformation around my financial mindset.  Everything else was well integrated, but when it came to money I was still thinking like many of my purpose centered entrepreneur colleagues and designating it as a separate entity. 

A sticky situation.

A touchy topic. 

I didn't want anyone to think that I was "all about the money."  However this kind of thinking was in conflict with what I know to be true, that all things come from the Creator/God and so I desired to come to terms with the "purpose vs. profit" struggle. 

How to Inspect your Thoughts