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After a Compo Beach walk Sunday morning with a coaching colleague who was struggling to define her perfect client, I saw this florescent tag sale sign en route home. It immediately grabbed my attention.
It was bold, it said what it was offering and pointed where to turn. (The arrow beneath the words is hard to see in this image, but it’s there.)
I’m not in the market for tag-saling, but noticed the offer anyway. It stood out, even if it wasn’t professionally done. The route was clear. Looking for metaphors as I often do, I took it as a sign (ha ha) illustrating what my friend needed: crystal clarity–two words stating “what”, an attention-getting device–the florescent color, and a call to action–the arrow.
Then I thought about how I go about getting attention. Tonight is a perfect example. I’ll be speaking at Trinity Episcopal Church in Southport addressing a combination of their Men’s and Transitions Groups. As the keynote speaker I will stand alone for all attendees to see. I’ll make sure my message is clear and will have a directon to offer those looking for my brand of service.
I’m curious how you’re florescing…
I walked the EWN Expo Monday night and felt the supercharged energy of the room as I strolled from vendor to vendor. The hotel meeting area was populated by women I’ve known, coached and socialized with, but this night was different. Here they were with their businesses on display and it was stunningly vibrant.
Pictured above is Catherine Avery who heard my 21 Results Driven Strategies talk for ASID (aka Things I’d Wished I’d Known When I Started My Business) last spring and subsequently enrolled in my Mastermind Group. There she stood with her freshly minted portfolio, website and marketing materials showing her design work off to its best advantage. Catherine is the perfect blend of talent, motivation and action. She looked beautiful that night, professional and calm.
I know the days and weeks it takes to create the pulled-together look Catherine presented. It’s getting the photographer lined up only after you’ve already created the breath-taking room design down to the last detail of perfection. It’s coming up with the budget, scheduling around your client’s hectic life to come in and disrupt their serenity for a day to create your marketing materials. Not to mention lining up Grandma and Grandpa to watch your 4-year old while you run out to buy the final tassel for the drawer pull. (Substitute your own punch list and you get the picture.)
All of that! Then, on Monday night, Catherine was the total pro, relaxed and eager to share her business expertise. So were all of the other magnificent women who had their work on display. Something happens when you visibly quantify your expertise for the world to see. The business owner gets transformed in the process and it’s magical.
Here you see Liz Flavin, a business owner who participated in three of my mastermind groups over a period of a couple of years, looking radiantly beautiful and wearing her products–gratitude bangle bracelets and necklace. This image is scanned from the latest edition of Connecticut Cottages & Gardens (available free in specialty shops ) where Liz’s renovated surroundings are captured in an 8-page spread.
So often we see photos like these and think, “Wow, I wish I were her. It looks so good.” The truth of the matter is, which Liz openly shares in the article about her and her freshly decorated home, that these pictures are the end result of a long and difficult journey. What carried Liz through a tortuous divorce and move was gratitude. Her website, business and life are all the tangible evidence of its power to heal.
As Liz transformed herself, her home and her business, she reclaimed the pieces that had been lost. She has spent the past few years recreating and reinventing all of those elements slowly, with frustration and setbacks, but ultimately with grace, compassion and success.
An ardent supporter of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Liz will be hosting three Gratitude Gatherings in the next three months. You can write to Liz for details: hello@gratitudeetc.com.
I found gratitude in the midst of real despair and used it to create a bridge from the darkness into the light. My business, part of my transformation, was in large part born in my new space; no accident that once your start to do the inner work, your surroundings often change, too. The reason that I took on recreating my space wasn’t really a choice. I had to move (divorce, foreclosure, etc.), but when I thought about reclaiming myself on all levels, the project of designing a space that reflected who I was becoming was so important to me. The big message is about transformation, reclamation and reinvention.
