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My marketing director took me out to lunch yesterday for a planning session.
How cool does that sound?
I’ve been working with this woman-owned company for over a year now. They specialize in helping other women-owned businesses get the word out about their enterprise via social media, events, web development and other campaigns. I attribute her expertise with my growing revenues.
This was our second annual working lunch meeting, her treat. After a delicious soup and salad at Bloodroot (I got to pick the venue), she handed me an agenda with 10 items which she then reviewed point by point.
Each agenda item was something that we had talked about during the course of the year. I was amazed that she had captured them all and was helping me to re-visit them individually. Whenever I hear a great idea, I shoot it off to her via email. Taking them one by one a few weeks or months after the original inspiration affords me the opportunity to reconsider them in the stark light of day versus the excitement of the moment.
During our one hour meeting we covered everything we’ll be sure to do in 2012: promote my webinars, Remarkable Women’s Network events, launch my new website, build my lists, send direct mail campaigns and sponsor another client appreciation event–a highlight of 2011.
Would I have done these things on my own? Not likely.
The benefit to having a paid professional is participating in a best practice experience like this. Every business owner would benefit from an annual review, but how many actually take the time to sit down and make a plan?
I’m grateful to my marketing company for modeling this practice and helping me grow my business by partnering with her.
I met with a group of women business owners recently, where one participant whom I know and adore, shared a challenge about how crazy-busy she is. She felt frantic and incapable of prioritizing. The proverbial fires were all burning equally in her arena. Taking time to deal with one over here could cause a huge conflagration over there.
I could feel my stomach begin to get knotted up.
And then I realized that I didn’t have to fix this for her, nor do I believe she desired a solution. She wanted to vent, to be acknowledged, understood and appreciated. Don’t we all?
I asked her permission to share an observation, which she welcomed. “I’ve known you a good 20 years, Barbie (not her real name).”
She immediately interjected, “And I’ve been complaining about this issue all along, haven’t I?”
I nodded. “What I get about you is that this is how you thrive. You’ve been wildly successful in this competitive and male-dominated industry you’re in. You’ve always made your deadlines, and you actually seem to thrive on the chaos of it. Why not re-frame your attitude about the situation and enjoy the ride? Instead of beating yourself up for not being better organized, how about some new and different self-talk? Try saying, ‘I’m really good at dealing with a million balls in the air. I always pull off these presentations. All nighters are the price of admission in this field. And I love it!’”
I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I would get from that piece of truth-telling and coaching, but Barbie’s face went from drawn to relieved. She felt heard and understood and didn’t have to change a thing about her work method, except her attitude about it.
When I emailed her this morning to ask her permission to share the incident, this was her reply:
You certainly may blog about it!! I can’t tell you how great it was to hear your words!!
I know that Mercury is in retrograde, so I understand that my technology dependency is being tampered with. But today I received an error message when I tried to access an email in my inbox. I wasn’t even allowed to open it because my C:\Documents and Settings\JaneP\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outlook.pst had reached its maximum size. Huh?
I noticed that my trash folder had over 45,000 messages in it. I began some heavy deleting. I got aggressive, dumping hundreds of messages at once. I became ruthless. Held down the shift key until I was removing months of old emails en masse.
Now, I just spent the last 30 minutes unsubscribing from over 80 organizations that habitually flood my inbox. Enough!
I enjoyed the purging. However, will you please let me know what incredible deals I’m missing from L.L. Bean and Groupon. YOU I trust!
On my way home from a look-see in NJ on Monday, I experienced a profound sense of joy. It was a combination of moments that added up to a burst of feeling in my body that I wanted to embrace and explore.
Here are the elements that composed that exquisite awareness:
- It was a glorious June day.
- I hit NO traffic on my round-trip to New Jersey.
- I needed to see a space for an event I’m facilitating, and it was perfect and inspiring.
- I had gotten a virus on my Mac laptop and made a convenient appointment at the Apple store Genius Bar en route to have it removed. (Sidebar – My curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on a link to see the infamous boxer shorts and paid the price. Ugh!)
- When checking messages on my voicemail I heard one from Barbara Bigford whom I had recently blogged about and consider a rock star. Another thrill.
- That night was EWN’s Grand Networking Event which is an annual high point where I get to hang out with my entrepreneurial clients, friends and colleagues.
When I talk about success, I say that it’s being in the present moment with your desired outcomes and acknowledging that you’re there. Otherwise, it’s always about striving. Monday was a really successful day.
I’m excited to be hosting my 17th Remarkable Women’s Network event this evening at Alfya’s Skin Care Salon in New Canaan. I met Alfya when she was a Master Aesthetician at Noelle, the Day Spa in Stamford. In Alfya’s trusted hands, I was transported from mom, business owner, carpool driver, etc. to GODDESS. For those 50 minutes in a darkened room with meditative music playing over the sound system, it was all about me.
Alfya went out on her own a couple of years ago, as many people did, following the economic downturn and transitions that accompanied it. I bumped into her and her husband at the Apple store in Stamford. She was learning how to build her own website. I’m inspired by her determination, hard work and courage. Renting real estate in New Canaan is not for sissies.
She’ll be accompanied tonight by 5 other experts who will offer re-freshing tips to all the attendees. I’ve had the benefit of being guided by each of these professionals myself, which is how I selected them. I’ve asked each of the pros to come up with three tips to offer attendees. Who doesn’t need a shot in the arm, a suggestion or some inspiration to change up ‘the way it’s always been around here?’ That’s what tonight is all about. A shot in the arm. A boost to the spirit. And a chance to connect with other women business owners who are open to growth.
Betsy Krobot, of BetsyK Home Choreography, will help the women tonight identify one thing they can easily do to begin the process of organizing their homes and offices. I’ll never forget when Betsy helped me transition from my art business to my coaching business. For starters, she moved all of my design books from one side of my studio to the other. All my business books were brought onto the recently vacated shelves. “This is where you want your focus now, Jane,” Betsy advised me. Eventually that space got filled, as did my coaching slots.
Scarlett DeBease will enlighten us on wardrobe and style changes we can make to touch up our looks. Here’s another woman who has radically changed my life. NEVER do I enter my closet any more with “I-have-nothing-to-wear” syndrome. Twice a year Scarlett consults with me, helps me play dress up and assembles dozens of combinations of outfits for all occasions. She documents them digitally so I have a notebook of what to wear. She’ll have a tip or three to share as well.
Liz Ball of TFI Envision oversaw my brand re-identification five years ago with professionalism and taste. Tonight she’ll help entrepreneurs curious about coordinating their brand identities with all the new social media constructs. “Do I need to include my facebook and twitter addresses on my business card?” I asked Liz. Come tonight for answers.
Tracy Boyce recently did a feng shui reading on my place. I’ve begun implementing the ‘cures’ she recommended and have to report a huge uptick in my business immediately thereafter. She’ll advise those gathered tonight on the wisdom of the ages and how shifting energy can impact your world.
I’m the sixth expert. I do believe that change starts within. I’ll be sharing lessons from my book Soul Proprietor on renewals my clients and I have made over the years. “Re-visiting” and “re-framing” are two techniques I’ve used to get myself unstuck.
There are three spots left as of this writing (9:40am). Hope to fill the house, er, spa. Come join me!
What business owner wouldn’t feel blessed to have 20 ready-to-work-for-you 20-somethings lining up for face time? That was the premise of an event I attended on Monday night at BeSpoke restaurant in New Haven–an elegant venue with excellent service.
Brilliantly organized by the founders of Super Interns, Julie Braun and Michelle Demers, the FastMatch™ night was exactly that. As you can see in the photo, employers sat on the banquette side of the tables and the soon-to-be interns rotated around the chairs on the inside of the room. Each match lasted 8 minutes. Scripts were provided with questions to ask of each other. Clearly, the young men and women who showed up had been primed to come with resumes, dress professionally and have a cheerful attitude. They all did.
Julie and Michelle were assisted by their own interns who took our names and information at the door and guided us to the location, handed out goodie bags at the end, took photos (exhibit A above) and generally helped the flow of the evening. The two women managed the time efficiently and explained what they were all about as well. Near the end of the event, they put out an offer to the employers to learn more about working with interns.
I attend a LOT of events. Very few (341 Studios immediately come to mind) are as well managed as this. I say this in my blog, because I value your time and would only recommend attending programs of high value. This was one.
I met about ten candidates, many of whom I would gladly find opportunities for. One has already followed up with me. I’m waiting for his references. I have a specific research project in mind for him.
Leigh Scott attended my Create Your Own Future retreat three year ago this month. During that event, we had a Come As You’ll Be activity projecting forward five years from the present. That night Leigh presented herself as the successful author of a book on parenting. She’s right on schedule.
This morning Leigh showed me a copy of her proposal–the document an author prepares for a literary agent who then sells it to a publisher. I got goosebumps when I saw what Leigh had put together. It was a spiral bound book with dividers for each of the areas required in a proposal including:
- About the book
- About the author
- Marketing
- Table of Contents
- Sample Chapter
- The Competition
And more. It took Leigh nearly a year of dedicated work to prepare this draft. She made the book her priority during this time. She made other changes as well. Knowing how much time she wanted to devote to writing, Leigh looked at her whole life and chose to make changes. She downsized her living situation to reduce her cost of living, which in turn reduced how much money she needed to earn.
These were all well-considered decisions with the vision of the book serving as the achievement that would make this worthwhile. She knew that in order to accomplish this life goal, certain activities would fall by the wayside. Making writing her priority, Leigh intentionally went without watching TV for a year. She chose to make time only for what was most important–earning enough to live while writing this book. Leigh was sure to include and pay for an accountability structure to keep her on track with her writing during the process.
In describing her feeling of satisfaction and delayed gratification, Leigh told an analogous story, perfectly related to her subject matter: parenting. A young boy had poured water on his father’s laptop computer. The father, modeling the behavior of a loving authority, explained to the child that his toy tractor was going to be taken away until the little boy carried out enough chores (suited to his level of ability–like licking envelopes and putting away toys) to make up for his dad’s loss. After four months of enforcing this ‘punishment’ the debt was repaid. The father took out the toy tractor which the little boy thought was brand new. “This is even better than the one I used to have!” he proclaimed. “It goes faster and I like it better.”
When you process something step-by-step (no shortcuts), suffer the slings and arrows of the journey, the ultimate reward is sweeter. Even if you weren’t in Westport, CT this morning, you may have felt the joy radiating out from Leigh’s pleasure in accomplishment.
Watch for Leigh’s book Becoming a Loving Authority: How to Get Out of Your Own Way as a Parent. I’ll see you at the book party!
My client, Debra Hamilton who is a brilliant mediator with a special interest in animals, participated in the Annual AKC Dog Show recently held in New York City. During our call yesterday she used a phrase I’d never heard, “Oooh! Shiny!” referring to a new area of interest attracting her attention. She said it’s used to describe Irish Setters who are easily distracted. I can think of a lot of business owners, present company included, who might strongly identify with those words.
I experience, “Oooh! Shiny!” with every email request and phone call that potentially means financial opportunity. I may drop whatever’s in front of me at the moment to process a book order or create a letter of agreement that includes a deposit upon receipt. “Oooh! Shiny!” is the person sitting next to me at a networking event with an idea of how we might work together. A date with new prospect pops up on my calendar and registers as “Oooh! Shiny!” my heart fluttering in anticipation.
The flip side of “Oooh! Shiny!” is a term I learned years ago: single-handling. It’s the antidote to “Oooh! Shiny!” Single-handling is looking at the task at hand and sticking with it from beginning to end. No glitter. No sparkle. Just straight task-oriented, nose-to-the-grindstone effort. The result? Success.
Today it was creating my script for the Remarkable Women’s Network (sold out) event I’m hosting tomorrow night. I wanted to incorporate some lessons from my book Soul Proprietor, make sure that I’m clear on my instructions for the breakout sessions and visualize the event in its entirety to be sure I’d covered all the bases.
I was hoping for some “Oooh! Shiny!” distractions, but resisted looking at my inbox or social media accounts until I’d gotten it done. The feeling of completion is unbeatable. Even better than “Oooh! Shiny!” but often hard to remember in the midst of the effort.
Can you relate?
Ronnie Ann Ryan, aka The Dating Coach, came to my Remarkable Women’s Network event last Tuesday night well prepared. (Ronnie is in the light turquoise on the right end of row 2.) She has put together a 5-day virtual expo called Dating for Keeps which she brilliantly used my event to promote.
Many people attend networking functions with no intention in mind. That’s fine, but their results often match their intentions. Nothing comes of their having attended. Because Ronnie came so well prepared, she was able to be specific in what outcomes she was looking for. One of those was to get other people to help her promote this event. I raised my hand immediately as did others in the group.
What’s also important to note here is how Ronnie took charge and created an opportunity. She put together an event, gathered other entrepreneurs in her market niche and is harnessing all that energy and excitement with an offering to the public. Even if you’re not interested in the Simple Secrets for Success in Love for Midlife Single Women, you can take inspiration from what Ronnie has created as a model of creativity and marketing.
If you are in that demographic, click here for the details of Ronnie’s upcoming expo.
In response to my blog post on Monday, the brilliant and creative Denise DiGrigoli, owner of Troy Fine Art Services, Inc., came rushing into my Remarkable Women’s Network event Tuesday evening exclaiming, “I’ve got something to show you!” Denise had written me a heartfelt response to my entry on self-promotion the day before. Last night she handed me this page from Martha Stewart which elaborately pinpoints exactly where you can find Martha–on television, on twitter (or The Twitter as Betty White so adorably calls it), at events, on the radio, on her blog and The Daily Wag which catalogs her pooches’ comings and goings. That’s how Martha is staying connected and letting her fans know where she is.
Marketing is not a passive activity. Build a website and they will come? Not anymore.
In response to Martha’s powerful example, Denise who is nothing if not a consummate go-getter created her own self-promotional version.
I challenge you to cut and paste your own version of Where To Find __________ and understand that a one-time postcard mailing or monthly newsletter is not going to get the big results. Today’s market requires multiple channels of visibility. Martha has laid them out well on her page. Borrow her example and use her variety and breadth of reach as a target.
