Writing On a Rainy Day
What a perfect life! As it’s been our first real day of gloomy, doomy rain for awhile (I secretly love it!) I lazed in bed with my coffee, my laptop and Mexican beach dog, Valentino. Have churned out another article for Entrepreneurial Woman Magazine , done a ton of research for my mystery/suspense novel, and caught up on my emails and social media.
My research has taken me to Tropea, Italy, where I’ve been (virtually) looking for great villas, walking on the amazing beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea and looking for toxicology reports. And I’m not even tired! Fortunately, I’ve had my trust assistant by my side although as you can see, he doesn’t have the same stamina:>)
How-to: Find Your Voice
The most flattering compliment I receive on an ongoing basis is that I write the way I speak. I consider that a compliment because as a writer I’m always striving to connect with my readers the way I (hope to) do when I have a warm, intimate conversation with someone in person.
Even if you’re not a professional writer – if you blog, write advice articles or engage in social media, it is critical that you find your “voice.” Simply defined, voice is a writer’s style; the quality that makes her writing unique and which conveys her attitude, personality, and character. In the context of this article, it is the last three qualities that are most significant.
What Finding Your Voice Means to Your “Peeps”
If you are familiar with social media, you’ll know that the terms ‘peeps’ doesn’t refer to little twirping birds – unless of course, you consider the Twitter-bird. Your peeps refer to your people, your tribe, your following. And why do they follow your articles, blogs, tweets, and comments on Facebook? Generally because they like something about you. In this highly competitive world of communication, I think it is fair to say that someone really has to like you (your personality) a lot and, more particularly, they admire your values and character. Isn’t that why you follow people and their work?
Don’t Have Any Peeps?
Perhaps you’re new to this mass communication thing or you’ve been struggling to develop a following for your business. Or, maybe you’re not attracting the kind of people you’d like to. The answer is to find a way to connect with people, not by expert writing, but by getting across whatever you have to say in your unique voice.
How to Know When You Have Found Them
I remember a morning not so long ago (when I was blow-drying my hair, if the truth be known) when I realized, without a shadow of a doubt that I had found my passion, my voice and my peeps. I knew this to be true because instead of sitting blankly in front of my computer screen trying desperately to add something original to an already idea-saturated market, I had begun to engage the right kind of people and I had no other motive than to be heard – not for business or to get something. I started getting many more people commenting, asking questions and generally engaging than I had previously.
It should go without saying that we should always be doing that, but judging from the feedback I’m getting, many of us are forcing ourselves to join the social-media-driven conversation and it’s coming off as inauthentic.
Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It:
1. Look around your office:
What do you see? In mine, I see two statues of the Buddha, my meditation alter, the words “Bliss” and “Cherish.” I see a poster which says: “Open mind, open heart.” I also see a picture of two gorgeous long legs with hosiery seams up the back that says, “Diva” – in case you think I’m a little too Zen! Chances are, whatever you’ve surrounded yourself with (please don’t tell me you work in an uninspiring, sterile space) encompass your values and that, my friend, is part of your “voice.” Use that to communicate your message.
2. Write what’s in your heart:
Sacrifice just one week of business-type blogging and other social media, and simply write whatever is in your heart. Now, before you jump on me, I understand that many of us have made a conscious decision to only use Twitter and Facebook for our businesses. I realize that the vast majority are not interested in where we walked our dog this morning. But do you know what? When judiciously shared, I get a lot of shout-outs from my “strictly business peeps” when I comment on something personal. As Dr. Seuss once said, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
3. Keep a notebook beside your bed:
And in your bathroom and in your car and jot down thoughts that come to you that in some way you’d like to share. Then, before you send them out into the blogosphere, try writing them in several different ways until you hit on exactly what and how you’d say it in person, to a close personal friend. I bet you anything, you’ll have found your voice.
Until next time, remember to be authentically you and have fun finding your unique and inspiring voice!
Where the Heck is Karen and What Is She Doing!?
The honest answer is that in the middle of 2011 (August, to be precise) I hit the proverbial wall, crashed and burned to a crisp! Yes, it was one of the Universe’s cruel jokes, deciding that if I wasn’t going to get the message of taking care of my health on my own, then the Universe would do it for me! I call it the “Divine slap upside the head”!
But, do not feel sorry for me.
Au contraire!
Although I miss you all and will always have helping entrepreneurial women in my heart, I am taking all of 2012 off to finish writing my first novel. My only two goals for this year are 1) to take care of my physical, mental, and spiritual health (and it’s working!) and, 2) to have my manuscript finished for submission at the October, 2012 Surrey Writer’s Festival being held in British Columbia. I have absolute faith that I will find the right literary agent, which in turn will lead to being published by a mainstream publishing house. Any great vibes you can send my way will be greatly appreciated!
Dolphins near Lions Bay, courtesy of Vancouver Aquarium
This is what we regularly see from our living room windows!
In addition to writing, I am enjoying — perhaps for the first time ever – being truly present, meditating, playing the piano and guitar, daily dolphin-watching at our waterfront home, and creating unique, colorful and textured knitting pieces of art. Love and life is good…no, exceptional! I wish YOU, in 2012, more success and happiness than your heart can hold. Whatever YOUR bliss is…follow it now!
You can stay up-to-date with me by visiting my Facebook page and connecting on Twitter. In the meantime, please think of me living my dream of writing in beautiful Lions Bay, British Columbia with my husband, Glen, a laid-back Mexican beach dog named Valentino and 2 assertive cats, Meika and Dolce.
Inside Every Woman There’s A Millionaire (Part 1)
Have you always known there is something special about you, but have longed for someone to recognize that and help you draw it out?
For most of us, it is unlikely that a talent scout is going to notice us and put us in the movies. Or that someone will notice your flair for writing and align the earth, the moon and the stars, to help you get that book published. Instead, the reality is that just finding the road to success, never mind navigating it, is extremely hard work and it often takes breaking through your fears and limiting beliefs, to make it happen.
What is it that you bring to the world?
The key to success and fulfillment and therefore “wealth,” is first, finding your unique gift and then, figuring out how to bring it to the world. Here’s what I know for sure: you do not need someone giving you a motivational speech or telling you to just face the fear and do it anyway!
I’m presently reading a book (in fact, I have the exciting distinction of being the first to order it online a couple of years ago), called Women On Fire by Debbie Phillips. It’s a heart-stirring and heartwarming anthology of stories written by twenty courageous and powerful women who faced real-life challenges and successfully moved through them to become authentic Women on Fire. The common thread that runs through most of these women’s stories, is that prior to a life-changing event, they had been struggling to find themselves.
One of the book’s contributors, Virginia (Ginny) Barney, relates how she went from a family tragedy, to volunteering, to finally finding her life’s purpose as a city manager. She shares three questions that she now always asks herself when faced with a decision about what is best for her, as she navigates along the path to success. With credit to Ginny, I share these questions with you (they come from P.71 of the book Women on Fire).
1. Will it (whatever opportunity) use my gifts? We all have talents and skills. If I’m working and using mine, I’m happy and productive.
2. Can I make a difference? Even if I’m using my talents, I might not be able to move the organization along. If I’m not the right fit for the organization, it’s not the right fit for me.
3. Will it be fun? Sure, there are difficult days in any job, but life should be enjoyable. If I dread going to work everyday, I’m not doing my best, and I’m not in the right place.
What a wonderfully simple filter system to help you make the best decision for not only yourself, but for those who will be impacted by your choices.
What is it that makes YOU unique?
If you’re like me, you might have always known what your special gift is, but you may not know what it is that you actually do, that allows you to use that gift successfully. This is called being an “unconscious competent.” You know what you’re doing works but you couldn’t necessarily explain or teach it to someone else.
Who Are You?
While you may never intend to teach someone your skills, it is important that you can articulate what your innate talent is, in order to move forward with clear intention. So, take a few minutes right now to think about this and write it down clearly and concisely. Make it your 30 or 60-second commercial, so that if you were awakened from a coma, you’d be able to tell someone who you are and what you do (or aspire to do) with your special gift.
What is your VISION for your life’s purpose? My good friend and spiritual journeyer, Bonnie Hutchinson, calls this “aligning with your soul’s purpose.” She suggests sitting quietly and asking yourself if your intention is in alignment with your soul’s purpose and your highest good. You’ll likely get a “yes” or “no” feeling. If it’s “yes,” move on. If it’s “no,” ask for more information until you are confident that your intention is in alignment.
Your “millionaire” within
Being a millionaire means different things to different people. Although it could mean being worth $1M (not much these days!) or earning a million dollars, it could mean making a million friends before you die. Or touching a million lives with your financial support or volunteering your time. For others, it means feeling like a millionaire in the blessings you appreciate in your life and what you do. What is the unique definition of YOUR millionaire within?
Do You Have The Secret Sauce?
This article was inspired by a conversation I had last week with a colleague. We were talking about how even though we’re coaches to our clients, we continue to invest in ourselves and our learning in a really big way. Why? Because we want to keep growing and developing ourselves, our businesses and, to be able to share that depth of knowledge with our clients. Successful entrepreneurs know that if they’re not growing, they’re dying, or at the very least, becoming much less valuable and competitive.
So it was in that vein that we were admiringly discussing another very successful entrepreneur in our world. My colleague said the most interesting thing to me. She said that in watching this woman doing what she does best, presenting her expertise onstage, she became aware of this kind of ‘mystique’ about her that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but knew without a shadow of a doubt that it worked. The woman in question has this uncanny ability to CONNECT with her audience in a truly authentic and compelling way.
Later, my colleague started to watch her on video but for some reason had the sound turned down. Only able to observe her body language but not hear what she was actually saying, it finally hit her. This fascinating entrepreneurial woman HAS the secret sauce!
What’s YOUR Secret Sauce?
What exactly is the secret sauce and how in the heck to do you get it?
I think the best description I can give you is that it’s what comes across as your “essence.” In his book, ‘True Purpose, 12 Strategies for Discovering the Difference You Are meant to Make,’ Tim Kelley describes it like this: “Essence is the most fundamental aspect of purpose, and the most difficult to describe. It is the aspect of purpose that is pure being, without doing. You ARE your purpose, even when you are standing still or asleep. This component of purpose is usually the most unconscious, that is, the least apparent to you…It is subtle and pervasive. Everyone you meet is affected by it, whether they are aware of it or not.”
Wow, how do you get some of THAT!? Well the good news is, you already possess it — you ARE it! It’s in the DNA of your ‘human-beingingness.” It isn’t something you have to DO or learn.
If someone has ever said something to you like, “You’re just a natural people-connector,” or “You always seem to know the right thing to say to comfort and reassure someone,” they’re describing your essence. We all have an essence; some of us are just more overt in displaying it than others. For those who are in touch and aware of their essence, it’s a bit similar to being an “unconsciously competent.” Wikipedia defines an unconscious competent as: “The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it has become “second nature” and can be performed easily. As a result, the skill can be performed while executing another task.”
Your Secret Sauce Ingredients
Rather than possessing a skill, as is the case with the unconscious competent, by getting quiet with yourself and also by asking others what they see as your essence, you can become much more aware of how you affect others positively or negatively. Tim Kelley has some great exercises in his book that can help you discover more about your essence.
What makes you you, that secret sauce, is made up of your purpose, your essence and your blessing. By getting really clear on what these things are for you, it allows you to maximize your positioning with your prospects and clients. That doesn’t mean you use it to manipulate your ideal clients, but rather so you can share the best of you for the greater good of others.
The Secret Sauce of Authentic Marketing
When you’re transparent and authentic in your marketing, people FEEL it. They may not rationally understand why they feel good about you and what you’re offering at the time; they just do. What they’re sensing is your essence. If you’ve ever tried to model yourself after someone you admire and it just doesn’t quite work for you the way it does for them, it’s because their essence is different than yours. Not better or worse, just different.
Can you go about learning how to change or have a different essence? Hmm…not easily (and why would you want to?). However, it is highly possible to learn how to get more in touch with how you can serve more people in a higher way, once you know what your unique essence is.
When you hone that, you’ve GOT the secret sauce for your ideal clients and you’ll see your business flourish!
SOAR Secrets Free Teleclass (Replay)
Did you miss our jam-packed “SOAR Secrets” teleclass? No worries, just click on the link below to download or listen to it now!
On this powerful call, Karen Dodd shared how to plan, structure and fill your business that leads to a high 6- and 7-figure income. AND she gave a sneak preview and some great SAVINGS and BONUSES for the SOAR Live Event in Vancouver, October 21-23.
Some of the information is time-sensitive so be sure to listen right away!
To download, right-click and choose “Save link as”
To listen, left-click on link below
SOAR-Secrets-free-teleclass-08-04-11
CLARITY=Freedom, Joy & More Clients!
I don’t usually get that feeling of “overwhelm” in the summer. In fact, I recently wrote how I love that although I tend to work at a slower place at this time of year, everything still gets done and I just FEEL better — more in sync with myself, nature and everything going on around me.
However, I must confess that in the last two weeks, my calm and serenity kind of screeched to a halt when I realized I was going to be away, traveling or fitting WAY too many things into a 2-week period!
Fortunately, my daily meditation practice (that may not work for you, so pick something that does:>) helps me get centered again more quickly than in the past.
You Are Here
I want to share one quick thought from Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh and then I PROMISE I’ll get into what this has to do with growing your business and attracting more of your Ideal Clients.
“Being truly here is very important — being here for yourself and for the ones you love. Fortunately, being here is not a difficult thing to accomplish. It is enough to breathe, and let go of thinking or planning. Just come back to yourself, concentrate on your breath, your smile. You are here, body and mind together. You are here, you are completely alive. That is a miracle.”
Being here — fully present is one of the best ways I know to slow down and get back to being a human being rather than a “human doing.”
Slowing Down to Speed Up
This may seem like an oxymoron but it’s something I talk to my clients about all the time. I talk about it in two ways. One, when you go too fast implementing a new marketing principle without having first built (or refined) your foundation, you almost always have to go back and do it again. That is a waste of your time, energy and sometimes money. It’s also very frustrating.
Secondly, for most of us, when we’re going too fast we tend to have all these jumbled thoughts in our heads (or is that just me?) and as such, we lose sight of the CLARITY we must have in order to help ourselves and our clients.
Bees to Honey; Clients to Clarity
Have you noticed that when you’re confused or stressed, you tend to attract more of the same? But when you are calm, clear and focused, that is what is mirrored by your prospects and clients?
Whether they consciously know it or not, there is nothing our ideal clients like more than CLARITY.
Here are some practical, easy-to-use-right-away tips to slow down in order to speed up (aka accomplish more)
1. Use a “mindmap” to get things out of your head and onto paper where you can see them. You’ll literally feel the weight leave your shoulders, back and head. A mindmap can be nothing more than you drawing a bunch of circles on a large whiteboard or flipchart or it can be as sophisticated as Window’s SmartArt or OmniGraffle for Mac. Whatever works for you to remember your brilliance. I call it my mind “vault.”
2. Spend some time journaling and revisit the vision that you had for your business when you first started. Have you continued to build on a solid foundation taking into account your core values and your mission statement?
3. When was the last time you niched your idea of your perfect client, a little deeper? Even if your product or service might benefit folks from 18 to 80, who is your IDEAL client for whom you provide the BEST solution? Knowing this helps you be so much more clear in your compelling and irresistible marketing messages so you can reach more of thwse people in large numbers, inexpensively.
4. What do you do everyday (like my meditation) that gets you grounded and brings you back to YOU? It might simply be going for a walk or lying in a sunbeam with the dog, but be sure to do it daily, several times a day if possible. It’s as important as putting your oxygen mask on first if you want to be of service to others. You need to be fully present for both of you!
5. Know your “only.” This is the thing that only you can do, in the way that you do it, to solve your ideal clients’ problems better than anyone else in your industry. With few exceptions where an entrepreneur’s niche is so narrow that he or she has no competition, the reality is that other people do what we do. But not one other person is uniquely you. Uncover what that is and you are like gold to your clients!
Small Biz Tip of the Week: S.O.A.R. – Simply Outrageous Authentic Results
S.O.A.R. Secrets FREE Call
Would you like to write yourself a blank check?
I want to give you the payday you deserve!
Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 4th at 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern to learn all about this powerful event on my FREE call!
Seriously, what I’m going to be teaching at “S.O.A.R.” (Simply Outrageous Authentic Results) has the potential to rock your business and transform your world – whether you are a brand new entrepreneur or you want to take your business to high six or even seven figures!
Imagine in TWO DAYS knowing your exact marketing plan to attract all the ideal clients you need for the year! Imagine working with only the clients who bring you joy and are willing to pay you what you’re worth (not to mention the peace of mind that 12-months of steady cash flow brings)!
If you structure your business and client attraction plan right, this is what’s possible for you. And that’s what you’re going to learn when you join me, 100 select attendees, and my Faculty, in North Vancouver, BC
You are cordially invited to have a 6- or even 7-figure income…
You may have heard I’m going to be hosting a 3-day event, October 21-23, called “S.O.A.R.” This is going to be a private event — I’m limiting attendance in my “Simply Outrageous Authentic Results” workshop to my SmallBiz members and 80 others. That’s it.
Why? Because I’m going to be teaching EXACTLY how to plan, structure and fill your business that leads to a high 6- and 7-figure income. You’re going to have a front row seat as I peel back the curtain to reveal powerful strategies you can implement to fill your business with ideal clients who willingly pay you what you’re worth. I’ll also unveil what you should absolutely NOT be doing in your business and how to LEVERAGE yourself for maximum time- and money-freedom.
If you feel ready for a 6 and 7-figure income, while doing what you love with passion and authenticity, then please join me for a FREE call where I will walk you through the “S.O.A.R. Secrets” so you can determine if it’s right for you. You’ll even be able to ask questions. Here’s the information:
DATE: Thursday, August 4 at 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern
Yes Karen, I’d like access to this free call, so I can learn how I can get Simply Outrageous Authentic Results!
Since I’m limiting tickets sales there is a very real chance that this event will sell out from this call alone. Therefore if this is resonating with you, I highly encourage you to clear your calendar to make this call.
With questions or to secure your S.O.A.R. Event Ticket today, contact Info@SmallBizInstitute.com Otherwise, see you on the call August 4!
