7 business truths I wish I’d been brave enough to believe, 732 days ago.

 
It was January 28, 2010. 8pm. Central, that is. A thirty-minute conversation that changed . . . well, everything.
Cue the dramatic Taiko drumroll.

It was my very first chat with my very first coach. None other than Ms. Michelle Ward, of course.

I consider that conversation to be the birth of my entrepreneurial identity — an early glimpse at a luminous world of passionate, polished, profit-driven ‘preneurs rocking the web & ricocheting their skills from studios in Brooklyn to the shores of Bermuda.

A world I never knew existed (this so wasn’t posted in my college career center!)

A world that gleamed with possibility, purpose & the promise of creative fulfillment.

A world that now — 732 days later — I live, work & belong in.

Lots of people ask me how I’ve “done” what I’ve “done” in “so little time.” Meaning: how I built a profitable business anchored on my writing skills, story-channeling abilities & promotional intuition . . . during the depths of the Recession, no less.

The answer isn’t very glamorous. But it’s genuine.

Quite simply: I didn’t give myself any other option, but to succeed. And I redefined my definition of success, whenever I felt the pinch of burn-out or boredom. In doing so, I met myself in the center. And the center traveled forward.

All my woo-woo brethren are like, “I’ll namaste to THAT!”
And all my anti-woo peeps are like, “uhh…digestible bullet-points, puh-lease?”

You got it, guys & gals. I give you . . .
 

7 business truths I wish I’d been brave enough to believe, 732 days ago.

 
Side-note :: I eventually DID come to believe each of the following truths, along the wild & winding road. But if I’d known & believed them at the BEGINNING of my entrepreneurial journey? We’d be living in the United States of Franzen, by now.

1 :: Proceed like you’re already PLATINUM.

To borrow a potent question from everyone’s favorite Jersey Girl-made-good, “If you were the BEST in the world at what you do, how would you BEHAVE?” Behave like that, from day one. And pretty soon, the BEST is precisely what you’ll be.

2 :: But . . . fall in love with your worst-case scenario.

I got up close & personal with my worst-case scenario – working in a dive bar for peanuts, and snacking on government-subsidized cheese — and realized that if everything imploded like a dying star, I’d still be fine. I’d still be loveable. I’d still be charming. I’d still be me. Rock-bottom failure = more fodder for the memoir!

3 :: Get your finances aligned by a pro, from the get-go.

Admission: I thought I could wrangle my own finances, forever. I mean, that’s why the Goddess of Prosperity invented Turbo Tax, riiight? Do yourself a glorious favor: spend $50 on a consultation with a professional number-cruncher, and get cleaned up & confident. You’ll sleep better — and keep more of what you earn.

4 :: Remember WHY you’re here. And WHAT you want.

Write it big. Blow it up. Frame it. French kiss it. Silkscreen it on your t-shirts. Tattoo it on your forearms. Do whatever you need to do to keep your driving purpose front and center, at all times. The locked-in perspective will keep you focused . . . and sane.

5 :: Put your cheerleaders on speed dial.

Your mom. Your auntie. Your mentor. Your partner. Keep them clued in, and close. But don’t use them as human Kleenex boxes — call them when you’re in celebration-mode, not just when you’re in crisis-mode. They want — and need — to know that you’re making progress. That they don’t need to start up a charity collection for your survival. Unless, like, they do. And that’s OK, too.

6 :: Get a just-for-the-joy-of-it hobby.

Hobbies keep you fluid, playful & expansive. Which is exactly how you’ll want your brain to be wired . . . if you want to receive your next brilliant business idea.

7 :: Live 100 years in the future.

It’s the most critical question you can — and must — ask yourself, with each new client, opportunity, invitation & growth spurt: “100 years from today . . . will it matter?” Or, if that’s too heady, start with this: “1 year from today . . . will it matter?” Will it leave a lasting legacy? Will it continue to elevate lives? Will it enhance your visibility, the breadth of your voice, your income, your influence? Is it vitally important? Or does it just ‘feel’ urgent?

Every time you make a decision from a place of long-term legacy-thinking rather than short-term survival, an angel gets its wings. And your business grows up. Beautiful — and brave.

And now, a brief word from our sponSOAR . . .

Remember that marvel of a woman I mentioned at the tippity-top of this post? The woman who popped my entrepreneurial cherry, back in the day? The woman who tolerates filthy insinuations, like the one I just made — with charisma, charm, and career-charting prowess?

She’s got an offer you can’t refuse. Lean in . . .

Michelle Ward — aka, the When I Grow Up Coach — is a sought-after & seriously powerful life & business coach, who is perpetually coming up with savvy new ways to serve her ever-growing audience. Enter: THE CLUBHOUSE. It’s a get-yer-coach-on membership site, with virtual workshops, open coaching calls, a Facebook community, inspiring giveaways, and access to every product Michelle’s ever made — and will ever create, in future.

Your CLUBHOUSE membership starts at just $27 / month. And is, to quote the loquacious Ms. Ward, truly “AMAZEBALLS.”

Chip-chop & clip-clop over to THE CLUBHOUSE page, watch Michelle strum her pink ukelele, pour over the ultra-affordable membership levels, and leap in.

Your business will LOVE you for it.

Read More business // acceleration

Add to the Love in the world — a challenge

 

Lisa is a mom, a yogi, a counselor, and a Reverend.

And whether she’s tucking in her little pumpkin at night, adjusting a student’s hip flexors during pigeon pose, drilling to the core of a client’s recurring panic attacks, or uniting a starry-eyed couple in marriage, her aim is the same:
 

To add to the Love in the world.

 
Not subtract. Not maintain. Not hold steady. Add.

This is an edict that needs no elucidation. We read it. We get it. We want to live it. Now.

So, how do we add to the Love in the world?

First, we remove all that is not Love from ourselves. The fear, cynicism, anxiety, and jealousy that keeps us snarky & small. (Side-note: Reverend Lisa can help you with that).

Next — or rather, concurrently — we find ways to become living emblems of Love.

It’s a beautiful image. And it’s also very, very difficult. Hey, if enlightenment was easy, we’d be there, already. (And His Holiness the Dalai Lama would be out of a job.)

I’m issuing a challenge — or rather, 7 micro-challenges. 7 days, and 7 ways … to add to the Love in the world. Starting now.
 

1 :: Commit to one snark-free week.

Even the kindest people — you, for example … and me, most assuredly — succumb to bouts of bitterness, snidery, and snarkiness.
We speak in hushed, heavy-breathed tones about the relatives that irk us, the celebrities we find idiotic, the co-workers that rattle our nerves. It feels good — like scratching a swollen mosquito bite. It forges bonds — with equally snippity souls. It’s not OK. And we can stop it. Crank up your awareness, catch yourself in the act, and exhale like a lion. Whoosh! Whoops. Rewind.

2 :: Be actively appreciative.

Your favorite barista adds a heart-shaped flourish to your morning soy latte, and balances a wafer-cookie on the edge of your cup.
Tell her she’s an Artist. Ask if you can write a letter of appreciation — to her boss. Leave a nice tip. Tweet your approval. Make her fucking day. And then, make someone else’s.

3 :: Assume only excellence — until proven otherwise.

Your manicurist knows what he’s doing. Your accountant is coded to excel. Your new assistant is a hero. And people want to help you. Believe it — and it will (almost always) be true.

4 :: Mine for GOLD, in everyone.

Your think your Uncle Ernie is ‘just’ a red-faced Republican with a tragically limited musical palette and an ever-so-slight drinking problem. And you always will. Until … you ask him to tell you about the War. And what it felt like to feel the sting of gasoline in his nostrils, as he pulled his best friend from the rubble. And how he never told anyone, not ever. And how if it weren’t for his father, he’d have gone to architecture school. And how secretly, he just adores Rachmaninoff.

5 :: Say grace.

Before you sit down to dinner, to eat. Or to your computer, to create. Say grace for the blessing of your mind, your nimble fingers, your exquisite body, and the affluence that surrounds you. Hold a moment of silence. Or someone’s hand. See how it feels.

6 :: Be shattered.

Cry like your heart’s been ravaged, if it has. Be absolutely not OK, if that’s your reality. Be an elegant disaster. Give others the opportunity to cradle you. They want to. Very much.

7 :: Don’t delay.

Adding Love to the world isn’t a diet you start next Monday. Not that you should ever start a diet, next Monday. And adding Love to the world doesn’t start once you’ve cared for yourself ‘enough’. It starts at the same time — and it is the same thing.

And now, a brief word from our sponSOAR . . .

This February, nutritionista Holli Thompson is adding Love to the world as only she can — with a home-study program designed to help people compassionately examine their eating habits, nourish their bodies with plant-based foods, and begin to glow — at every level.

It’s called Cleanse with Style, it’s impressively affordable, and it kicks off the day after Valentine’s Day. Love abounds.

Holli is a bundle of exuberance & eternal optimism — a holistic nutrition coach & cheerleader who truly walks (and eats) her talk. Jump into her world — and fuel up.
 

Read More creativity // inspiration devotion // liberty

5 reasons you’re getting REJECTED…and how to start hearing more HELL YESes! & HALLELUJAHs!

 

You wrote, but never heard back.
You heard back, but it wasn’t good news.
You called, but nobody answered.
You followed up, but Lord knows if they care.
Rejection! No traction! DESPAIR!

 
Rejection feels foul. No two ways about it. And while it’s practically unavoidable — and usually NOT personal — there’s a LOT you can do to bolster your chances of getting heard, getting helped and getting the HELL YES you want.

Here are 5 reasons you’re getting the frosty-cold shoulder . . . and 5 tips to shift your approach, and your ‘tude.

1. Your expectations are (yeowch!) a tad unrealistic.

You’ve never published so much as a Craiglist personal ad, and you’re pitching The Huffington Post with an op-ed column? You may be brilliant. You may ‘deserve’ it. You may feel ready. But you don’t have the street cred to back up your claims.

Should you seal up in hermitage and bemoan your fate? No. You should strategically pitch smaller, less thunder-powered outlets with similar concepts, build up a striking portfolio, and THEN swing back to the big guys. But this time, as a viable contender.

2. You’re not respecting the proper channels.

If a potential employer says “no phone calls, please” — they mean it. If a blog supernova says “contact my assistant, first” — they’re not kidding. If a publishing company says, “no unsolicited manuscripts, thank you” — they’ve got their reasons. You can be charming, memorable, sensational, rebellious — but deliver your brilliance through the indicated channels, ’cause you don’t want your first impression to get trashed or ignored.

3. The person you’re contacting is really fucking busy.

Think about how many emails, text messages & tweets you screen through, every day. Urgent stuff. Not so urgent stuff. Family photos. Invitations. Fan mail. Foe mail. Freaky mail. Business inquiries. Photos of daschunds in tiny fedoras. That TED Talk you’ve just GOT to watch. Now multiply that by . . . oh, say, 100. 200. 1,000. Infinity.

If you’re reaching out to a hella-busy human, it’s quite possible your missive fell through the cracks — or (gasp!) they simply haven’t gotten to it yet.

If you suspect you got skipped, wait a reasonable amount of time (at LEAST a week) and then swing back with a follow-up. Singular. As in, once.

It’s also possible that your message was simply deemed “not a priority.” That might sting a bit. But you will survive.

4. Something about your approach feels mass-produced, disingenuous, or emotionally-detached.

Mass email blasts. Way-too-long intros. Presumptuous demands. Info over-loading.

When I get an impersonal “Hey, universe!” email blast — unless it’s from someone I know, adore, and / or sleep next to at night — it usually gets deleted. Fair? Probably not. Cruel? Maybe. But my limbic system rationalizes it thusly, “if they can’t take the time to write a personal note, then why should I take the time to drum up a personal plan to support them?” Energy exchange. Reciprocity. Survival. And all that.

Oh, and, simply including the recipient’s first name doesn’t make it ‘personal’ message. C’mon, now.

5. Your call-to-action is flaccid, uninspiring or nonexistent.

Say . . . you’re reaching out to a potential sponsor, for your hot-cha-cha conference. You could wrap up your pitch, like this. (Spoiler alert! I wouldn’t recommend it.)

I’d love to set up a brief chat (they rarely are) to discuss sponsorship collaboration possibilities or possible promotional crossovers (darling, I don’t even know you!). We could jump on the phone, anytime tomorrow (I’m booked for the next four months. No thanks.) I look forward to hearing from you (do you? do you really?)

. . . major de-boner, right?
Let’s try that same closing loop, one mo’ again:

We’ve got 500 savvy + devoted entrepreneurs attending our conference, in May. (ooh!) We’ll be featuring 10 sponsors, and spotlighting each of ‘em with a mega-watt bulb — with an onstage banner, a featured spot in our newsletter, and lots of social media love. (aah!)

If you’d like to partner with us, and reach our fabulous ‘preneurs (and their collective online audiences — totaling in the millions) (eee!) hit me back with an email. I’ll send you our sponsor guidelines, with all the money + timing details. And we’ll rock it from there. (sold!)

. . . uh, HELL YES & HALLELUJAH!
 

“All great innovations are built on rejections.”
–Louis Ferdinand Celine

And now, a brief word from our sponSOAR . . .

Ever dream of a place where there is NO rejection? The inimitable sparkle-gem of goodness Goddess Leonie has got just such a place. And you’re invited to step inside . . . for a whole luscious year of rejuvenation, inspiring chatter & full-tilt-to-the-stars ENCOURAGEMENT from your Goddess Sisters, ’round the world.

It’s The Goddess Circle! Glory be! A virtual sanctuary for women to transform every part of their lives — from creativity, spirituality & business to decluttering & health. And if you haven’t already met your hostess & guide, Mizz Goddess Leonie, she’s essentially a watercolor petunia in human form — not to mention a wildly successful entrepreneur, with much wisdom to share.

With 1,000+ members, this is a serious hotspot of heavenly healing & growth.

And it’s just $99, for a full year of access.

Gallop on over to the Goddess Circle. Enter with glee.

Read More business // acceleration lifescripts // what-ifs

Money Amplifies Your ART — a micro-manifesto, for scarcity junkies.

 

“Entrepreneurship is just so risky, unstable and HARD.”

“There’s just NO AUDIENCE for the kind of art I want to make.”

“Believe me, I’ve tried. That’s JUST THE WAY IT IS, in my industry.”

Excuse me while I throw a textual tantrum. AAAARHGHHGGH#$Y%%&&*(*)&&)*%)!!!!
(all done.)

Good grief, chief! How many times have you heard these self-fulfilling declarations bandied about, by crushed friends & colleagues? How many times have you uttered somesuch nonesense yourself?

How is it — in these extraordinary times, with infinite role models crossing genres, defying conventional logic, and turning art into cash with unprecedented ease — that we’re still rutting about in these ridiculous notions — like scarcity junkies, lookin’ for a fix?

I am reminded of a lesson, by the Indian mystic Osho:

“If you are happy and you have money, you will become more happy.
If you are unhappy and you have money, you will become more unhappy because what will you do with your money?”

What, indeed?

To carry it home:

Money cradles + energizes who you already are.
If you are artful, money will amplify your art.
If you are adventurous, money will give you new ways to be bold.
If you are kind, money will stretch your compassion to the ends of the earth.
If you are playful, money is a playground you hold in your pocket.
If you are romantic, money can bolster your expressions of love.
If you are optimistic, money will show you a world of potential.

Repeat after me:

I am unspeakably affluent –
rich with ideas, with resources, with love.

There’s so little I need to consume —
and infinite ways to contribute.

I can be a philanthropist, without spending a dime.

I can raise my own brilliance barometer
simply by charging what I’m actually worth.

When money is scarce, I do not panic.
I devote myself tenfold to my ART –
I ground myself in service.
I become impossible to ignore.
I tell the world who I am –
And money is drawn to my intrinsic richness.
Like gravity. Like providence. Like fate.

I am made of shattered stars.
I am elegance, embodied.
Money mirrors my ambition –
It is not my definition.

 

And now, a brief word from our sponSOAR…

Tara Gentile is on a mission — to redefine commerce as the creation & distribution of meaning, relationship, and experience. Tara believes that earning money for your intrinsic gifts is an ART…and that mastering The Art of Earning allows you to reap the tangible rewards of your genius, in action — namely, more wealth & freedom than you’ve imagined.

This February 22-23, the bespectacled, brilliant & ever-brazen Tara Gentile is leading an intimate, attitude-shifting experience at the beautiful Hotel Palomar in Philadelphia — The Art of Earning LIVE.

The Art of Earning LIVE includes 10+ hours of training with Tara & pals, plus 2 virtual follow-up calls, and a couple of nourishing meals. It’s self-care for the soul of your business. And you are enthusiastically invited to attend.

Learn more + reserve your spot, at TheArtOfEarning.com

Read More business // acceleration

THIS is what’s possible.

 

You tried. Really gave it a shot. Struggled + strived. But you’re convinced, now: it’s not possible.

This whole designing your ideal life + business thing. This whole making art and filling your bank account thing. This whole joy + success + hot sex + abundance + inspiration + waking up THRILLED to create, serve + thrive thing.

Possible for her. For him. For them. For the special, the privileged, the early-adapters, the “lucky.” Not for you.

AS fucking IF.

Every single day, my clients + comrades show me what’s POSSIBLE. And it pickles my brain, and zaps open my eyes.
Lemon-pucker-WHOA!

THIS is what’s possible. For the ordinary + extraordinary, for the overambitious + undernourished, for valedictorians + drop-outs, for those who chose wisely + those who made disastrous mistakes, for geekettes + tech-phobes, for dyed-in-the-wool entrepreneurs + Renaissance souls, for complicated + simple + hard-working + lazy + COMPLETELY NORMAL + HUMAN people like YOU.

THIS. is IT.

IT IS POSSIBLE … to skip college and run a Washington DC think-tank instead, to say FUCK on your self-realization + spirituality blog, to be ousted from your own damn ‘wellness + lifestyle’ company, and land the #1 spot on MULTIPLE Amazon bestseller lists — before your book even launches. While raising a kid. And remarrying a husband. And lint-rollering dog hair off your jeans. Done, and done!

IT IS POSSIBLE … to immigrate from India to Canada, nestle yourself in a spirit-lifting home with an ocean view like triple-distilled heaven, and spend your afternoons admiring sun-bathing sea lions on the shore. To make your living as a professional energy worker — aligning chakras over the phone, and unfolding miracles in virtual classrooms. For serious? YES!

IT IS POSSIBLE … to spend half the year traveling the world + the other half in a frugal + fabulous apartment, blogging about your adventures, getting published in glossy magazines + creating calendars + postcards that inspire girls around the world to be courageous + bold. It’s happening!

IT IS POSSIBLE … to spend your days spraying gallons of glitter on Styrofoam stars in a groovy downtown LA warehouse, and spend your nights painting portraits of beautiful women with antlers. She’s doing it!

IT IS POSSIBLE … to spend ten years as a stripper, co-create a profitable real estate empire, dip your toes into yoga instruction,
and then rise into your most epic adventure to date, as a whip-cracking business coach — all from your double-decker duplex in the Midwest. Hot damn!

IT IS POSSIBLE … to be a part-time professor, a lotta-time business coach, a dream-powered muse, a TEDx-talking speaker, and a full-time DyVa. Check out that realness!

IT IS POSSIBLE … to write a novel and trash it. To pour your heart into your first career and chuck it. To buy a house and decide you don’t want it. To find yourself spinning — Jesus take the wheel! — into a career you never imagined could feel so right. Or so profitable. Or so prescient. To write posts like this one, and know that your words will touch ladies + gents from Munich to Melbourne. I’m livin’ it.

Take your ‘impossibles’ and cradle them, gently. Then kiss ‘em tenderly — and throw them off a moving train.

 

Read More business // acceleration creativity // inspiration