Prefer to LISTEN to this week’s issue?
Turn up your speakers and
Click here to download…

What are you convinced of? What do you hold as true for you right now? Are you convinced that work is hard? Are you convinced that you’ll never be able to work from home? Are you convinced that, on some level, it’s wrong to be prosperous? Or are you convinced that you are always at choice and the past has no precedence…you can start right where you are. How unalterably convinced are you? This is your faith.

Think about this. When you think about one of your convictions, does it make you smile inside or shrive? Do you feel bolder, stronger, or do feel small, diminished.

I’m living proof that what you are convinced of is often a lie. I was convinced for a long time that work had to be hard -look at my parents’ life! That was powerful proof to me. I was convinced for years that I was “not smart enough” to be successful in creating my own work in the world…I should of looked around a bit -there are plenty of “not so smart” people who make plenty of money in their own business! Here are three ways to alter those big convictions you have that are keeping you from waking up to your unique gifts, to honoring the human treasure that you truly are and to living a prosperous life, in which you are experiencing peace, health and plenty in your world.

1. Ask yourself if your conviction is really true. Is it true for everyone? Do you know someone who doesn’t hold this conviction and is thriving in an area of life that you are not? If one person can do it, you can too! Play with the idea of “what if this weren’t true about me?”

2. Allow yourself to move forward even if you can’t see the entire “how”. Your inner compass lets you know when you’re on the right track. You’re scared AND excited at the same time. You feel good. What you’re working on will be a positive thing for others. Martin Luther King said “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” So do some planning. Planning leads to action. Action gets you “into the game”. And once you’re in the game, all kinds of unexpected things happen that absolutely couldn’t have happened if you hadn’t jumped in! And then, you might find yourself facing…

3. Doing the thing you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “you must do the thing you think you cannot do.” If you’re afraid of a certain action that is moving you towards your dream, do it anyway. This will bust through your limiting convictions, maybe causing your family and friends to think you’re nuts, and you might even be rocked by the fact that you are shaking your very identify (albeit limited!) to the core. That’s ok. Do it anyway!

4. Get unstuck. Katie Byron has a masterful technique for getting past your yeah buts. It feels weird at first, but it’s powerful.

First, say what it is you want to do and your “but”. I want to travel to (put your favorite location here), but I can’t afford to.

Now say it as if you are choosing. “I’m choosing not to take a trip to paradise because of the belief that I have to spend a lot of money on this trip. The trip isn’t the problem, my perception that I can’t afford it is.”

Finally, “my true self can find a way to take the trip without going into debt because it knows that not having a lot of money isn’t the problem -my belief about not having enough money is.”

It’s also powerful to take your desire and your obstacle to some supportive people. Tell them what you’ve done up till now, what you want next and what obstacle is in the way. You’ll be amazed at the creative options you haven’t thought of. But look at your convictions first and get clear that they are alterable, otherwise, you’ll drive your friends crazy with yeah buts at every turn!

Would love to hear about a conviction you have that is not supporting you and you are ready to give up. Post  yours here.  It’s a powerful to put your commitment out to the world.

I want to give you a tip that will make it much easier to reach your goals.

At some point, in going after your goal, you are going to be stopped by a lack of information.

Now I honestly don’t like doing a lot of research.  But here are some of the techniques I enjoy using to get information when I’m stuck:

1. Tell people what your wish is and the obstacle you face.  You won’t believe how quickly people (even strangers!) will jump right into problem-solving mode and you’ll be given information or contacts who can give you the solution…try it…really…you’ll be amazed!

2. Go to the library (online).

I love libraries. When I was six years old, a friend took me on my first trip to a library. I was astounded and absolutely delighted to learn that I could take 5 books home and it was free!

Today, I can access mountains of popular magazines, scholarly journals, and databases on everything from history to science to health right from my computer.  All you need is a library card number.  Go to your local public libraries website and find their online databases. You will find information here that will get you unstuck. The only downside (if you want to call it that!) to this method is that you can spend hours happily sifting for gold in this treasure trove!

3. Got to conferences, association meetings and trade shows.

There’s nothing like hanging out with a bunch of people who share your interest.  The Encyclopedia of Associations lists every group and association that meets regularly in the U.S. and even worldwide. 

So, what’s a goal you’d love to achieve? Are you stopped by lack of information?  Try one of my favorite techniques this week and find out how great it is to get just the information you need to keep moving forward.

Drop a line on my blog and let me know how it goes!

Prefer to LISTEN to this week’s issue?
Turn up your speakers and
Click here to download…

What is transformation? And more importantly, how does it happen? The dictionary tells you that transformation is a change in form, appearance, nature, or character. Peter Senge, a faculty member at MIT and an expert on learning organizations, states, “as W. Edwards Deming says, nothing happens without “personal transformation.” And the only safe space to allow for this transformation is a learning community.”

On the final call of a four week Authentic Life Institute class, one participant, who had actively engaged with the reading material and phone calls, said that the course had transformed her. It was a powerful statement, you could tell it was true, and it filled me with gratitude that this learning community we’ve formed is making a true difference by creating the safe (and fun!) space for transformative experiences.

I think that, while transformation often happens subtly, so quietly that you don’t even notice, there ARE times when you are acutely aware that something in your mind has just shifted in a way that is more expansive, in a way that affirms your powerfulness, in a way that feels so true you wonder how you ever didn’t know this.

As Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

While I don’t think you can “do” transformation in a step-by-step linear process, I can give you some ideas on how to cultivate the fertile soil of your mind, so you are ready to experience transformation when a new, expansive seed thought is planted.

1. Participate in supportive groups. As in introvert, I know this can be a challenge and a stretch. I’ve gone long periods of time without being in groups and have found that when I do, I begin to wither. You need to be listened to deeply and without judgment. This process allows you time and space to think. And in the right groups, you are asked questions to help you remove mind blocks and think of things that were unimaginable to you before.

2. Think of how far you’ve come. You are, by nature, always evolving. Take a look back at your life…how many different people have you been? I bet you can see tremendous changes that have happened in the way you view the world and yourself. Even though you may not have felt like you were changing -in the long view, you can see that you have.

3. Be a gentle observer of yourself and others. Letting go of judgment, of yourself and others, is a powerful way to experience transformation. The energy you create in yourself when judging is strong and negative. Know that in any given situation you are doing the best you can. If you are reflecting about something you’ve done and feel you could have improved on it -fine! Next time try something different to make it even better. But don’t beat yourself up about what is done. The past has no precedence. What do I mean by that? You can create your future, in the way that you choose, no matter what you have done in the past.

Watch for your own transformations. It can be as simple as using different words to describe your business that make you feel more confident and capable…and when you feel so, you are!

I would love to hear your transformation stories. Post one here. You never know who might be inspired by your transformation!

Prefer to LISTEN to this week’s issue?
Turn up your speakers and
Click here to download…

What do you do when you hit a problem in your business? Maybe it’s how to generate more income, how to build a client list or how to create an information product. Too often you might find yourself getting stopped by a problem and just giving up. Here’s what you can do to get past those problems and on to doing what you love to do.

Jim Rohn, the wonderful motivational speaker, said to go inside first and see if you can come up a solution. If that doesn’t work, go to a book or internet sources to see if you can find an answer. If that doesn’t work, ask someone else who is where you want to be. This is good advice. Let’s explore further.

1.  Go inside. You have an extraordinary amount of wisdom right inside yourself –from your past experiences and from your natural preferences. One great way to get your answers from within is to take some time to get quiet. Make a list of teachers you’ve had that made a positive impact on you. Some may have been conventional teachers; others may be people you met who were not in a classroom. You can even consider famous people, people who have died or you haven’t met in person but you learned something valuable from them. Now choose one that jumps out at you right now.

Now write out a dialogue between you and this person. Ask him/her for advice. I can bet you will find some powerful insights into how to solve your problem

2.  Get some more information. When someone tells me they’re stuck on a problem, I quickly assess whether it is a lack of information that is the real problem. It often is. I’m amazed at how many people don’t take the time to seek information through books and the internet. Often there is someone out there who has solved a problem similar to yours and you can quickly get ideas about how to solve your problem.

3.  Ask someone else. If you still can’t figure out how to get past your problem after going inside and doing some research…now is the time to ask someone else. Most people are willing to share information and help you IF you show them that you have done some research prior to asking them. It’s startling how many people ask me for advice and information and when I ask them what they’ve done so far to solve their problem…they say “nothing”.

I’ll give you a concrete example. You want to run a tour business. You don’t know where to start and feel overwhelmed every time you think about this idea…but it just won’t go away.

First, you take time and journal with your teacher within. You have a dialogue and get encouragement from the teacher that you are on the right track. You even get some ideas about where you would like to lead tours and get a strong sense of the feelings of satisfaction and joy you’ll get when you achieve this goal.

Now you think, “I don’t know how to start. What insurance do I need? How do I hire a bus? What kind of outdoor microphone will I need so that people can hear me? How will I find people to enroll for my tours?”

So you go to Google and type in “how to lead tours”. You get nothing useful. So you try, “how to be a tour guide”. Bingo. You get a great article with lots of information and a link to an online course on the topic. You subscribe for the course. You then do an Amazon search and find a book that looks great on this topic so you order it.

After you’ve taken the course and read the book, you are about 100% confident that you’d like to achieve the goal of becoming a tour guide but you’d like to talk to some people who are actually doing it to get the real scoop on what it’s like and maybe ideas on how to break into the field.

Now, if you don’t already know someone in the field, it’s time to look up a few people in the field, approach them by email to request a 20 minute informational interview by phone. Send an email that says that you are interested in entering the field, you’ve taken a course and read about the field and now want to get some real world information.

Tell them that you’ll have 5-10 questions prepared before the call and that you’d be happy to email the questions to them prior to the call. You might want to ask what the best part of their work is and what the worst part of their work is. Don’t ask specific salaries, though you may ask what would be an expected range of pay for a beginner and for someone advanced in the field.

People are generally very happy to help out, happy to share information about work they love AND they will be impressed that you did your research prior to seeking them out.

So go ahead. What’s a problem you have? Try the 3 steps above and get unstuck now!

Anyone starting  new business is bound to have some fears.  That’s healthy!   Women are growing new businesses in larger numbers.  Here’s how these women over 40 conquered their entrepreneurial fears and got into action to start their business.

1.  Have a Support Team.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Have a support team that you contact weekly and have at least 5 people that you can contact 24/7 who love you and are honest with you NO MATTER WHAT.

Thanks to: Amy Lynn Frost of  Nonprofit Sector Foundation

2.  It’s All In Your Hands.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Naysayers and the economy are completely irrelevant, so put them out of your mind. Opportunities ALWAYS exist!  Following-through on what you commit to goes a long way with clients. Nearly all of my business from repeat clients or word-of-mouth.

Thanks to: Catherine Davis of Azure Consulting Services

3. Believe and Receive

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Believing in yourself is more than just a nice idea. When you take the plunge into business for yourself, it’s imperative to believe deep within your soul that you are doing the right thing and that you know how to do it right. My fear was that I may not have enough clients. Had that fear ruled, I may have tried to work outside my niche and passionate interest in women’s careers simply to get clients. I did not. The more clear I became about my client profile and my services, the faster the referrals came.

Thanks to: Kathleen Johnston of Kathleen Johnston

4. What Will They Think?

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. I started an alternative newspaper,printing articles that touched my heart, inspired me or gave me new information on how to live a more fruitful life. “They” read the paper and found value in it. In fearing what others might think, I almost missed out on doing one of the most rewarding things in my life.

Thanks to: Joann Turner of The Messenger

5.Stepping Out From Top Corporate Position to Entrepreneur as a Single Parent was Scary

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Stepped out of the box and believed in myself. Looked at what talent I brought to the table. Showed up everywhere. Surrounded myself with positive people and believed in myself that I could do it.

Thanks to: Robbie Motter of Robbie Motter

6. Ask Yourself 2 Questions

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. I asked myself 2 questions. 1. Did I want to be free? 2.What did I have to lose? Now I love what I do.

Thanks to: Pamela Fill of
Peacefully Uniting Girlfriends

7. Submit to Your Authentic Voice

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. #1 Allow your voice to Scream out what it desire’s, #2 Pay attention to subtle signs that will guide you in the direction of your dream, #3 Trust your inner wisdom, and #4 Name your business and get a business license

Thanks to: Carla Burrows of U-Inspired

8. Divorce, Death, New Biz

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Divorce proceedings had begun when death came at his doorstep. Went from wife of a successful managing partner of venture capital firm to a mother of two (one in rehab, the other on the break of teen years) who had to jump back into the work force. Built a successful consulting firm, film production company, and international event planning company. That was all in 8 years.

Thanks to: Anne Davis of AED Events

9. Remove The Naysayers & Get Over It

At 45, knowing that “jobs” are never guaranteed, I decided I needed to help secure my future and start my own business. I kept saying to myself “I can do this” so “just do it.” However, the one thing I did that took me to the point of getting over my fear and just doing it, was to literally remove any and all people I associated with that are negative and naysayers. It’s the basic law of attraction.

Thanks to: Bonita Guerrero-Boutin of Bonita Botanicals

10. I just did it.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. In 2004, when I was 41 years young, I decided that I must either make it happen or never discuss “wanting to own a business” ever again. And so I did. Bought a franchise, learned the ropes, got rid of the franchise, rebranded my company and never looked back. I finally quit my day job after 4 years (at GM) in 2008 and I love, love, love being an entrepreneur.

Thanks to: Nipa Shah of Jenesys Group

11. Jump!.

My biggest fear was and still is a fear of not being the success that I am convinced that I can be. Prior to launching my store, that fear stopped me from doing this for over 2 years and finally I decided to jump. It was the best decision that I have ever made even through these challenging economic times it has tested me to the limit, forced me to learn a tremendous amount of information and I am finally happy to wake up each day and go to my office.

Thanks to: Ellen Hart of Career Bags

12. Don’t Stop Before the Miracle.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Stay focused, keep going for the gold.
Do what you love. Love what you do. Don’t ever give up. Remember to breathe!

Thanks to: Rosanne D’Ausilio, PhD of Human Technologies Global Inc.

13. Army to Artist

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. I did a major about-face at 42 and launched a successful art career. My fear-I didn’t know if I was talented enough. My motto-”Failure is not an option.” Now I have a great business and was featured in MORE Magazine “She got Rich doing What?” and have been on HGTV, ABC Craftcorner, NBC, FOX, and 20 top magazines.

Thanks to: Adrienne van Dooren of Faux House

14. Embrace Your Fear.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Fear can be a great motivator, if you learn how to harness the energy and make it work for you, not against you. You don’t have to go it alone. Look for people to partner with on projects. Establish strategic alliances with others for mutual benefit. Delegate. Recruit college kids or even high school kids to work as interns.

Thanks to: BJ Gallagher of What Women Need 2 Know

15. One Step At a Time.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. My biggest fear about becoming an entrepreneur at age 47 was how I was going to START the business. I had a great idea – fun feminine baseball caps for women, but was so fearful of getting it off the ground. So, I took it one step at a time. It was much easier to handle starting a business if I broke it down into manageable steps. Now, I have a successful business and I still like to tackle things one step at a time!

Thanks to: Carrie Bell of Mad Capz

16. The Illusion of Security

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Why it’s better outside the fence:
The illusion of security kept me tied to corporate jobs, like an animal on a game preserve. Once I got out of the corporate environment, I realized I could control my own destiny and create my own security.

Thanks to: Gail Z Martin of Gail Martin Marketing

17. Fear vs. Guts.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Starting a business after 40 is scary – I know because I did just that. Walking away from a great corporate corner office and all the perks – friends and family thought I had hit a mid-life crisis and proceeded to tell me so.

I didn’t listen to them – I listened to me. I was so frightened of becoming something I didn’t want to be a part of that I decided it was time to create my own future – I accepted the fear of the unknown and stepped into unfamiliar territory – that of being fearful and taking action anyway. I listened to my gut – rather than my fear.

Thanks to: Susan Bock of Susan Bock Solutions

18. Surround Yourself With Talent and Your Business Will Suceed.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. My biggest fear was not knowing if I had the right skillset to succeed as an entrepreneur. My solution was to enlist the aid of independent consultants (mostly other moms) who specialized in areas where I felt I needed additional help in. EdibleGiftsPlus.com is now on track to do $500,000 in sales in its third year.

Thanks to: Frangoise Shirley of Edible Gifts Plus

19. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. Our fears, which can paralyze us from taking action, are often unfounded. It took me several years before I actually took the plunge to start my online business. What was I waiting for? Best tip: Start now, start small and build!

Thanks to: Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD of Kidlutions(tm): Solutions for Kids

20. Don’t Hesitate; You Have to Keep Moving.

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. One of the many things I learned serving in the XVIII Airborne Corp at Ft Bragg is that you need to keep moving; hesitation can be a life or death situation. Years later, when I designed and trademarked the Yum Yum Dish, I momentarily got caught up in ‘over-analyzing’ my marketing plan. Finally the ’soldier’ in me kicked in and I realized that I was letting fear hold me back, I was doubting my plans. Women want a good plan in place and they want to make sure they’ve covered all the bases… but there comes a point where you just have to jump. You can always modify the plan while it’s ‘in action’.

Thanks to: Tracy Adler, MBA, CSP of Yum Yum Dishes

21. Overcome the Fear of Selling

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. I overcame the fear of selling, which is like riding a roller coaster by taking a deep breath, and then just being myself. Because I believe in my product and that it really has the potential to help save thousands of lives.

Thanks to: Karen Klayman of Student at the Wheel

22. Fear of Financial Insecurity

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. When I found myself laid off at age 50, I worried that I’d have to choose between work I loved and financial security for my family. Last year, after over a decade working in someone else’s family business, I found myself unemployed for the first time in my life when that business closed. Fears about being unable to help my kids with their college costs made me hesitate to go into business for myself, but the realization that a salaried job is really no more secure than self-employment changed my mind. I saw that a woman with her own business actually has more control than one depending on someone else for a job.

Thanks to: Rebecca Haden of Rebecca Haden Quality Copywriting and SEO

23. Get a Partner

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. My biggest fear in going out on my own in business was, of course, that I/we would fail. Having a business partner with experience has been great. When I get freaked out he is calm and sometimes vice-versa. And when one of us is overwhelmed, the other can pick up the slack.

Thanks to:Joanne Parrent of Parrent Smith Investigations and Research

24. Stay Connected

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. One of the biggest fears I had was losing the social connections that you develop in the corporate world. I am using Facebook to stay connected with friends, reconnect with old friends AND promote my consulting business.

Thanks to:Sheila Burkett of Tuxedo Park Management

25. Follow Your Dream

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. I left a high paying stable job and started my own business at 46 years old. I felt I needed to follow my dream before it was too late.
At that age I felt a strong sense of confidence in my abilities and was willing to take the risk. My business is thriving in spite of this difficult economy.

Thanks to:Sandy Smith-Tankin of Design Interaction

26. Follow Your Dream

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. I left a high paying stable job and started my own business at 46 years old. I felt I needed to follow my dream before it was too late.
At that age I felt a strong sense of confidence in my abilities and was willing to take the risk. My business is thriving in spite of this difficult economy.

Thanks to:Sandy Smith-Tankin of Design Interaction

27. You’ll Never Have all the Answers, But if You Have the Passion, You Have to Jump!

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. My biggest fears were Do I have enough contacts? Where will my clients come from? Will I make any money? What if I lose money?

There will never be a definitive answer to any of those questions, so you have to want to have your own business more than anything, and then you’ll have the drive and determination to do whatever it takes to survive and thrive.

Thanks to:Robin Siegerman of Sieguzi Interior Designs Inc.

28. Look Fear in the Eyes!

How to conquer your entrepreneurial fear. When the fearball rises and tells you ‘You Can’t Do This’, just take one action to move your business further ahead. Have a timeline showing all key milestones and celebrate each one as it’s accomplished.

Thanks to:Carol Margolis of Smart Women Travelers

29. OMG I am in yet another home Business at 54 years old

I am a retired hairdresser with aches and pains from all the standing for so many years yet my family needed money plain and simple. I signed up to sell a product that not only cured my need for money it was based on what is happening to me and many people when you just are not 20 anymore. It has been easy to do… all you do is talk about how much better you feel. This had taken away all my fears I am selling something I believe in that works.This has cured my need for money too. I never thought it possible at 54 to start a business, make money and find so many new friends.

Thanks to:Teresa Figley of Teresa Figley

30. Set a Time Frame

How did I overcome my biggest fear about becoming an entrepreneur? In 1993, at 40, my company went Chapter 11 and my position was eliminated. I took my severance and gave myself a 6 month time frame. In this time I needed to launch my a line of accessories and generate enough revenue so that I could take a salary. Within 2 weeks, I was on a plane to the Far East. Within 8 weeks, I had my samples in showroom in NY and by 12 weeks, I had my first order from a major retailer. I then got bank financing so that within 6 months I was drawing a salary and growing a business.

Thanks to:Corinne McCormack of Corinne McCormack

TPEntrepreneur Don’t know what you are talented at? Read this and you will

http://budurl.com/zblt