We found a number of significant things that our six figure soloists all have in common. How would you rate yourself on some of the qualities and beliefs that they share? Did you observe any other commonalities? Please contribute your thoughts and observations here!

Planner – Not all of our soloists had a master plan in place when they started out, but all of them had at least a partial plan, and certainly a vision or result in mind. Some of them looked ahead to the big picture; some were “winging it” a little bit more than others. But they all eventually gained an understanding that plans are critical to success and now strive to create and meet regular goals.

Creative – All of our 6-figure soloists are creative, out the box thinkers. Our soloists use true creativity in areas like marketing and PR, product development, designing and attracting long term benefits and opportunities, locating resources and resolving problems as they arise.

Resourceful – I would say that all of our 6-figure soloists are very resourceful. Again, we may be looking at inner-resources versus external resources, but resourcefulness is key. Also, many of our contributors outsource projects that would otherwise tie them up and keep them from growing their company.

Self-funded – I thought this was interesting. Five out of six of our 6-figure soloists were completely self-funded as start ups. Matt found funding for about 1/3 of his start up costs in a very creative way - by winning a contest!

Hard worker – Certainly, all of our soloists are hard workers. Tenacity and a “never give up” attitude are star qualities here. It seems all of them were willing to go back to the drawing board as necessary and the words “give up” are not in their vocabulary.

Focused – I really enjoyed learning how our 6-figure soloists manage their “idea machine” creativity and remain focused on the most important pieces of their business. From keeping their ideas in notebooks to mindmapping or placing distracting ideas on the backburner altogether, our soloists have all found a means to funnel their creativity productively and remain focused on the primary goal.

Flexible – While plans and visions are in place, all of our soloists seem to accept that “stuff happens” and that plans often need to be amended as problems and opportunities arise.

Values freedom – We certainly found some hard workers, but the payoff for everyone here is freedom. There may be many definitions of freedom amongst them but it all boils down to calling the shots and doing it on their terms.

Risk taker – I believe all true entrepreneurs are risk takers to some degree and our 6-figure soloists are no exception. Some risks are more calculated than others, but achieving their dream, and therefore freedom, is clearly worth some level of risk to them.

Supported by others – Our soloists have enjoyed input from mentors, peers, customers, coaches, friends and family. They have surrounded themselves by supportive individuals who believe in them and contribute to their success in some way.

One of my favorite observations while producing this series was that all of the contributors are really, really nice people! They all understand the value of treating others with respect and have a true desire to help others in some way. They have a strong value system in place and are building businesses that complement and support those values.

I would like to thank, not only our 6-figure soloists, but everyone who contacted me wishing to be a part of this series, and all of you for your wonderful feedback, questions, and observations. What a fun project this was!

And now, wrapping up our “How to Make Six Figures” series with our final 6-figure soloist. Please know that these six weeks have featured only a handful of the responses I received when I set out to find the common links amongst the amazing men and women who single-handedly grew their businesses to six-figure profits, meaningful ventures and were willing to share the how and why of it all. I’d like to thank everyone who contacted me. Your stories were all wonderful, making my job all the more difficult!

Make sure to stay tuned for next week’s post where we’ll sum up our list of common links and see how we all measure up! Now I’d like to introduce you to our final 6-figure soloist.

International speaker, standup comedian and Professional Certified Coach David Wood is the author of Get Paid for Who You Are™ and a coauthor of the bestselling book Guerilla Marketing on the Front Lines. His tried and true methods for freeing oneself from the shackles of the timecard have been the inspiration for many people to gain a lifestyle of freedom and contribution. You can learn more at www.GetPaidForWhoYouAre.com.

Q. David, when you started your company did you have a plan in place, or did you just “wing it?”

A. Initially I was pretty much winging it. I printed a business card and started handing them out put up a website. It was much later while journaling that I created the master plan for the online business.

Q. Looking back, what would you say are the two important personal qualities or characteristics that are most responsible for your success?

A. 1) I’m willing to try things – unusual things, small things, big things. I try 100 things that don’t work, and then there’s one that takes off.
2) I’m willing to be uncomfortable. Whether it’s going on radio or speaking on a stage or sharing something raw and vulnerable about my life with 100,000 subscribers – I push that edge of my comfort zone.

Q. What mentoring or coaching experiences have you benefitted from?

A. I hired one of the top coaches in Australia – Christine McDougall, past Vice President of the International Coaching Federation, and then Marcia Reynolds, Past President of the International Coach Federation. Both coaches helped me with my vision and motivated me to keep stepping forward through uncertainty.

Q. David, what was the key motivating factor in your drive and determination to become your own boss?

A. When I left Towers Perrin, a top management consulting company, my boss said, “I hope in 10 years we’ll be ready for someone like you.” I was a wave-maker and tired of needing 10 people to approve any new idea I had. I wanted to implement my ideas NOW, and to have time freedom (to work when I like), and location freedom (to work from home or Hawaii.)

Q. Was funding ever an issue for you? If so, how did you solve the problem?

A. Initially I had about $30,000 in savings so I knew I had 6-12 months before I ran into trouble. I earned a little money with my first business, which was as a professional entertainer singing in Australian pubs, and then more money on the side as a consulting actuary (my former profession) at an hourly rate.

Q. What was your most challenging moment to date and how did you overcome it?

A. Stepping out on stage in front of 1200 people was one of the scariest. But higher on the list was going on national television in Australia on Hey Hey It’s Saturday (our equivalent of The Gong Show) and singing in a kilt. I was absolutely terrified and literally thought I might pee my pants. I overcame it by putting one foot in front of the other – ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. It always works.

Q. What is the greatest reward in running your own business?

A. When I want a week or a month off, I can take it. Also I get to create websites, ebooks, CDs, DVDs and teleclasses as quickly as I like. I can impact lives. I had a thought this morning about financial worry and how it impacts all of us, so I posted on Facebook: “Would you attend a free teleclass on financial worry and how to improve your finances?” If the response is good I can have 50-300 people on a teleclass next week and begin impacting lives that quickly. I might even make some sales at the end of it.

Q. Do you have a “top strategy” for success that you’d like to share?

A. Nothing mind-blowing, but rather simple: Have a simple plan for what you’re going to accomplish, and each day spend the first two hours of your day doing the most important thing on your list.

Q. David, entrepreneurs are idea machines, and that’s great. But sometimes too many good ideas can clutter the picture and stop progress. How did you harness your best ideas and bring them to fruition?

A. Ha – I have a million ideas, and many are incomplete. I pick my favorite ones – the ones that will have the most impact on people’s lives or the most revenue potential, or both – and focus on those. The others I write down on another piece of paper and save them – knowing I can come to them when the time is right. So prioritize, and just keep going down the list.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our solopreneurs?

A. It’s a challenging and rewarding life. The most important thing is a simple plan. I put everything I know about setting up an online business into five simple steps – and published them in Get Paid For Who You Are. I’m happy to give readers a free copy of the book at www.getpaidforwhoyouare.com.

In Summary: Wow, David's book for free! I'm on my way...
These “common links” are really adding up! Our final 6-figure soloist is most certainly a creative, flexible, out of the box thinker. David serves an important value of helping others through his work and he certainly values his freedom. Our soloists have all seemed pretty flexible in terms of their willingness to change the plan as circumstances change and David is no exception. Once again, a self funded startup whose creator is not risk adverse. David acts quickly and efficiently on his ideas and has a great system in place for “testing” them and determining whether they get shelved or acted upon. He seems systematic, yet doesn’t allow systems to stifle his creativity. One of the things that struck me most was the speed and efficiency in which David brings his wonderful ideas to fruition – or not. David is also very willing to push the limits of his “comfort zone” and do it with a wonderful sense of humor in place. Personally, I think this is such an important quality; taking one’s self too seriously can really get in the way!

Q. Rob, when you started your company did you have a plan in place, or did you just “wing it?”

A. I didn’t have a plan as much as a goal. Although I was self-employed as a consultant, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

I knew that trading dollars for hours as a consultant was not a sustainable path for me. I wanted to work less and have more freedom with my time. That single goal propelled me into acquiring web properties, which ultimately lead to the achievement of that early goal.

Q. Looking back, what would you say are the two important personal qualities or characteristics that are most responsible for your success?

A. A desire to be constantly learning and a willingness to take risks.

I run into many people who desire the entrepreneurial lifestyle (or what they imagine it to be), but they watch 15 hours of TV per week and they aren’t willing to make themselves sick with fear by launching a blog, speaking at a local event, or building and launching a website. They are afraid to put themselves out there.

Watching this struggle in others brings me back to high school. Most people are too concerned with what people will think of them to deviate from the crowd and take a risk that may cause them to lose face if it fails. In my experience, every failure and every success has ultimately turned into a success…even if it took a few years for me to figure out why.

Q. What mentoring or coaching experiences have you benefitted from?

A. I shadowed the chairman of the board of a Silicon Valley construction company for a year. His name was Gene Ravizza, and in the first month he taught me more about being in business than I had learned in four years of college.

I’ve also benefitted from mentoring others. I work with several hundred entrepreneurs in the Micropreneur Academy, and interact with several thousand on my blog, Software by Rob.

Q. Rob, what was the key motivating factor in your drive and determination to become your own boss?

A. I was tired of the inefficiency of the workplace. It’s insane to me that as a one-person team you have the ability to get more accomplished than many five-person teams I was part of in the corporate sector.

Q. Was funding ever an issue for you? If so, how did you solve the problem?

I built several of my web properties myself and funded my acquisitions with consulting, so funding was not an issue.

Q. What was your most challenging moment to date and how did you overcome it?

A. Any month where I don’t make my “number” is my most challenging moment. Although I’m well diversified with ten separate small businesses, if a few of them take a hit in a given month, I miss that specific amount of net profit that I want to make each month to meet expenses.
This is when my thought process turns to: “What do I need to do right now to close this gap in the next 30 days?”

Q. What is the greatest reward in running your own business?

Freedom.

The freedom to live where I want in the world, work when I want, and generate income not based on hours worked, but on ingenuity and effectiveness. If I figure out a way to automate or outsource 8 hours out of my month, I can take a day off. There is no such reward when you’re a salaried employee.
I remember the day I achieved this freedom quite vividly. At that moment I realized that I’ll never be able to go back to a 9 to 5 job at a corporation.

Q. Do you have a “top strategy” for success that you’d like to share?

A. The biggest mistake I see entrepreneurs making is building a product that no one wants. My top strategy is to confirm there is a market for your product before you build it. If you’ve already built a successful product and can color outside the lines, then by all means ignore this advice.
But for your first business, test the market and confirm there’s demand for it before you build your product. This is what I call the Market First Approach to product development.

Q. Rob, entrepreneurs are idea machines, and that’s great. But sometimes too many good ideas can clutter the picture and stop progress. How did you harness your best ideas and bring them to fruition?

A. Now that I’ve launched businesses that have failed and ones that have succeeded, it’s much easier to see early on if something’s going to make it. So the way I harness the best ideas is to write all of my ideas down in a notebook. This includes inspiration I receive while reading books, magazines and blogs, or doing the dishes.

Every few weeks I comb back through these pages and choose a few ideas to test. I never invest a lot of time into an idea until I’ve tested that it will work on a small scale. So if I have an idea to start a new service, I might send an email to one of my mailing lists and handle sign-ups manually so I don’t have to invest the hours to build infrastructure. If people are responsive to it, I’ll invest the time and market it to the world.

It’s about building and testing in the smallest increments you can, to keep your time and money investment to a minimum.

In Summary: Rob Walling is extremely creative in his approach, sees the big picture and understands the value of outsourcing. He is a planner in the sense that he researches his marketplace carefully prior to investing time and money into a product and keeps an eye on revenues to make up any anticipated shortfall. Funding was not a problem for Rob, as he utilized his own skills to fund his company's growth. Rob enjoys his freedom but approaches his work tenaciously and with a work hard mentality. He is detailed, thinks out of the box and enjoys the many rewards!

Q. Steve, when you started your software development company did you have a plan in place, or did you just “wing it?”

A. I had no plan at all, seriously, just an idea, that friends said people would pay for. I’d never even considered selling software and my business consisted of selling a few LP’s on Ebay. I came up with the idea to create a desktop software program that I call ooTunes, and a bit later the iPhone app. The iPhone app is where I make all the money. It's not quite like the "one hit wonder" app's that strike it rich overnight, I've built and worked at mine every day for 10-12 hours for almost a year now. Nonetheless, a single iPhone app is where it’s at for me. The coolest part (in my mind) was that my mom and dad gave me the laptop as a present 4 years ago and my in-laws gave me the iPod touch for Christmas 2 years ago, and it's changed my life forever!

Q. Looking back, what would you say are the two important personal qualities or characteristics that are most responsible for your success?

A. I credit my success to 3 things: a) A lot of luck b) persistence and c) working crazy hard to make sure every customer (and there's a lot of them!) is happy.

Q. Have you ever had a mentor or a coach?

A. Yes and no. I’ve never had any coaching from anyone who’s done something similar or tried to do something similar. However, as soon as started to open a dialog with my customers, I had free advice, suggestions, marketing and a great deal of “coaching” from interesting people all over the world. This needs to be filtered of course, but some of my greatest milestones were reached by these suggestions.

Q. Steve, what was the key motivating factor in your drive and determination to become your own boss?

A. When I first started working on my PhD, I started reading blogs, essays, and anything I could find on “startups”. I was intrigued mostly by how someone could start with nothing but an idea, and through hard work, almost magically turn it into something that didn’t even exist beforehand. It seemed a bit like an Ex nihilo. On one hand I thought it was awesome that someone could go from nothing to fortunes in a few years. On the other hand, I thought it was foolish to view that as the “most common” outcome.

Q. Was funding ever an issue for you? If so, how did you solve the problem?

A. Not really. I started my business after living on a PhD student stipend (it’s not much) and providing for my wife and at the time, 3 kids (now 4). I’ve become somewhat of an expert in living on next to nothing. I’ve never had a car loan, never paid interest on a credit card, and almost had our house half paid off BEFORE the business even started. The only time the thought of “I need funding” came to mind was when I’d talk to other entrepreneurs. I was never really convinced that giving up so much freedom (both freedom to fail and freedom to do as I saw fit) was worth the benefit I might receive of having the extra money. I still don’t know what to do with the money I’ve earned, other than invest it, so external funding just doesn’t seem important. Maybe someday?

Q. What was your most challenging moment to date and how did you overcome it?

A. The most difficult decision I have made was choosing whether to finish my PhD or quit and work on the business fulltime. My wife will tell you that she knew what I should do years ago, but it took me at least a year of struggling to keep up with everything I wanted to do and to recognize that quitting school was the right choice. My dad and both my brothers earned advanced degrees, and even though none of them ever tried to coerce me into any particular career, I did worry if they would look upon me as a “dropout”. I’ve never been a quitter, and investing 5 years of my life toward a goal, only to walk away seemed foolish. Ultimately, I made the decision through prayer and desperation. Working at school during the day with the constant burning excitement and worry that probably most small business owners have experienced was taking a toll on health, and everything was suffering from the overload. So I quit, and everyone was 100% supportive.

Q. What is the greatest reward in running your own business?

A. Knowing that I’ve created something that thousands of people enjoy. I guess if I’d started a collection agency I wouldn’t have that same satisfaction.

Q. Do you have a “top strategy” for success that you’d like to share?

A. Hmm, this is tough since I attribute so much of my success to being lucky! But here goes:
1) Treat people as kindly as possible.
2) Work your butt off
3) Listen to your spouse! He/She probably knows you better than you know yourself!

Q. Steve, entrepreneurs are idea machines, and that’s great. But sometimes too many good ideas can clutter the picture and stop progress. How did you harness your best ideas and bring them to fruition?

A. It took time really. I chased a poor idea for almost a year before listening to my customers and potential customers and giving them what they really wanted, rather than what I thought they wanted or should want. Now I have lots of ideas, but keep myself so busy I have little time to explore all but the most compelling.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our solopreneurs?

A. If you don’t think about your business or ideas constantly, you probably don’t have the right idea. If you’re not willing to give up sleep, food, sex, hobbies, sunlight, etc. for your idea, you’re probably not going to give what it takes. That being said, you shouldn’t give all those up indefinitely or it certainly won’t be worth your time! If you can’t (give those up or stop giving those up) get a 9-5 job, and spend the rest of the time doing something you enjoy!

In Summary: So our self-proclaimed, ooTunes Nerd, didn’t have a long term plan for success and proclaims himself “lucky.” Not sure I agree with that Steve! Your hard work, brilliant mind, and supportive environment have earned you the success you enjoy today! Steve has had mentors along the way, and didn’t struggle with funding…wow! Steve is determined, tenacious, hard-working, and devotes himself to customer service. He keeps his other ideas at bay to focus on his existing work and makes sure to take time to enjoy his family. Do you see any of Steve’s qualities in yourself?

My next guest is going to share the story of how he and his wife launched a niche bakeware company, and within a few short years have grown their “idea” into one of the leading brands in bakeware with over $1 million in sales revenue, and 6-figure profits. While Matt and Emily Griffin work together in this venture, I feel they still fit the bill as a “solo” business; they have no employees and share the workload between them. They outsource the manufacturing and distribution of their products.

Q. Matt, when you started Bakers Edge did you have a plan in place, or did you just “wing it?”

A. When we officially started we had about 5 years of thought behind our bakeware (the Edge Brownie Pan). Like many small businesses, while planning a path is a good way to start, the meaningful decisions have come in the form of reactions and adjustments along they way.

Q. Looking back, what would you say are the two important personal qualities or characteristics that are most responsible for your success?

A. Many people now state that YOU are the BRAND. I know that sounds corny, but for us it has been a big part of our success. We entered a market that is dominated by a few mega corporations. Being a small fish in pond with mostly big fish was at first thought to be a disadvantage. We have learned to embrace who we are and use it as an opportunity. There are a host of things that we are able to do (given our size and mobility) that our big competitors simply can’t. Our approachability and our direct contact with customers allows who we are shine though, and not be clouded by the levels of “risk management” that larger companies are saddled with. People find it refreshing that we actually have personalities and opinions – and freely share them! It humanizes our company. The other quality is the old standby of being resilient in the face of setbacks. Every company has failures and setbacks - small and large. The key for us has been to continue learning and tweaking our actions. I can proudly say we have never made the same mistake twice.

Q. Have you ever had a mentor or a coach?

A. No…but we would have liked one! We do have a financial advisor, and some very experienced industry veterans that we pump for information. It would have been most helpful at the start of our business, but like anything help only seems to come after you need it. As we continue to grow and make connections in the industry, we get more access to guidance.

Q. Matt, what was the key motivating factor in your drive and determination to become your own boss?

A. The funny thing about “becoming your own boss” is that when you do…you quickly learn that you have more masters than you ever did as an employee. We now answer to our vendors, customers, bankers, suppliers, etc. To be in full control of your business means you have commitments to keep on multiple levels, and that you are the only person responsible for keeping them. So why did we want to do it? Part of it is a drive to make something exist that previously did not. The other part is to be in control of our own destiny. We don’t deal with corporate politics, or reorganization. I grew up on a farm, but spent years in corporate offices. Running your own business is very much like being a farmer. You only get out what you put in…and no one else is to blame for your failure. That appeals to us.

Q. Was funding ever an issue for you? If so, how did you solve the problem?

A. Funding and cash flow management is always an issue. If I solve it, I will write a book and sell my secrets. Our start up costs were defrayed by several factors. I won an invention contest sponsored by Microsoft and Visa which yielded about a third of our start up needs. The rest came from a conventional business line of credit and personal savings. We still rely upon conventional lines of credit to mitigate any disparity in cash flow in regards to invoices due vs accounts receivable drop dates.

Q. What was your most challenging moment to date and how did you overcome it?

A. Like writing a story, the first part is always the toughest. Just figuring out the right pricing and really targeting a specific market took lots of trial and error. On top of that, getting retailers to stock our product (as a one SKU company at the time) took LOTS of work. We essentially had to make it big online, and dominate the online marketplace prior to being considered by the traditional retailers. Thankfully, we did such a good job, they now pitch us and we get to pick and chose where we want our products sold.

Q. What is the greatest reward in running your own business?

A. Being able to succeed on your own terms is a wonderful feeling. I also am really proud that our company is bolstering the US economy with a multiplier effect (my economics major is coming out a little). Everything is produced in the USA…and even in this downturn economy we have had production lines running overtime. That is rewarding for us.

Q. Do you have a “top strategy” for success that you’d like to share?

A. If you collect enough bricks, you can build a house. So is the way with a small business. If you pick away at it, consistently with goals, you will eventually have a real asset. Flexible consistency is key.

Q. Matt, entrepreneurs are idea machines, and that’s great. But sometimes too many good ideas can clutter the picture and stop progress. How did you harness your best ideas and bring them to fruition?

A. As an entrepreneur I can say this…”Entrepreneurs are annoying”. 99 percent of all “idea machines” are paper architects only. Most incessantly blather on about “ideas” that have already been patented, or have no way of being executed in a way to create value (as stated before…I am guilty of this too). It is a small handful that mobilizes and works to make a business out of ideas. Once I realized that the Edge Brownie Pan had merit – all other “ideas” were put on the side. It was then a process of whittling away at the essence of this idea and being focused on what it was, and who it was for. Once we determined our marketing message, positive things began to happen. The good news is that if you are truly an idea machine, there is always a need of big creativity when running a business, and keeping it growing. You just need to concentrate on what you are trying to accomplish (and take a break from the sillier big thoughts that want to cloud your brain).

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our solopreneurs?

A. Sure! This is what I have learned over a few short years. First off, you are not alone. There are thousands of people thinking and doing the same thing as you. There is a whole subculture that is sitting in their basements, working till 2 a.m. on a “side business”. The good news is that success at these ventures happens all the time. It is essentially how all great businesses start. There is precedent in success. Don’t give up.

Also…you need to learn how to live a dual life (think Batman) - especially if you still have a “day job”. During the day give your all at work, and then at night, in your spare time relish the fact that you are secretly building a new business from nothing. Also (like Batman), when you have the opportunity for media exposure – you need to be memorable. Don’t shy away from “consumer exposure”. Shameless self promotion is necessary. Just don’t let your two worlds collide (because it will annoy your day job coworkers – see answer above in regards to “entrepreneur annoyingness”).

In summary, Matt enjoys feeling in control of his own destiny, had a plan for growth but remained flexible about change, is consistent with his goals, is creative yet focused, tenacious, and isn’t shy about “shamelessly” promoting his company. While he had some start up funding, the company is self-funded. What qualities do you have in common?

A. I had a result in mind, I certainly wasn’t winging it. I discovered that when you distribute videos online, they showed up in the search engine results and the quality of visitors that watch those videos and came to the website were three to twenty-five times more likely to buy a product or a service.

As a result, I got traffic and higher quality leads and visitors to my websites. I tried to find a way to automate that because I was paying people to submit my videos for me. I started out with a simple need and desire to distribute my content automatically. We started building closer relationships with our customers and they asked us for more capabilities and features. We set out to become a great video distribution network and have become a full content distribution system and tool.

Q. Looking back, what would you say are the two important personal qualities or characteristics that are most responsible for your success?

A. I think I was born with the ability to move, to do something and to rapidly prototype. I've developed skills by studying and becoming a ruthless student of information to be able to figure out how things work, as well as how to make something happen fast. If I don’t know how to do something, I will find someone who does or learn it myself so I can build something, test it out, prototype it and sell it rapidly.

I am also not afraid to say that I can do it or I can figure it out. That has brought a lot of opportunities. I've developed a track record of getting stuff done, making a difference, creating a lot of products and services and I’ve surrounded myself with an amazing team of contractors. I don’t believe that I am a great manager, but I do have great managers now who really are making a big difference in the business.

Q. Have you ever had a mentor or a coach?

A. I have had a lot of virtual coaches; Napoleon Hill being one of the greatest. Also Dale Carnegie and Tony Robbins have had the greatest influence on me.

Q. What was the key motivating factor in your drive and determination to become your own boss?

A. I hate being poor! I grew up in a financially poor environment. I had very few resources and I hated not having access to tools. Fear of an uncomfortable environment; flat out despising the environment I was in and wanting to get out it was a driver.

Q. Was funding ever an issue for you? If so, how did you solve the problem?

A. Since I grew up in an environment with no resources I learned to be real scrappy. All of my businesses started with no capital other than credit cards. When I sold Digital Café there was a period of time when I raised money for a movie - raising money sucks - and I’ll tell you why. You can't fire an investor. You can always get rid of a bad customer, employee or partner. Investors are hard to get rid of. I think the process of raising capital makes less and less sense. Instead the question you need to ask yourself is, who owns the relationships with my potential customers and what kind of a deal can I cut with them? If you put together an affiliate or a joint venture relationship with somebody who already owns the relationships and you can actually deliver what you promise, it makes more sense.

Q. What was your most challenging moment and how did you overcome it?

A. I’ll just cut to the chase. I went through a rotten divorce. That was probably the worst thing I've ever gone through. Okay. Yeah! Love abandonment and being poor! There you go!

Q. What is the greatest reward in running your own business?

A. Living a life with very little compromise. The sooner you learn how to sever yourself from emotional vampirism the better. I believe a lot of people are running a 20 percent efficiency because they are emotionally drained.

Q. Do you have a top strategy for success that you’d like to share?

A. Read Think and Grow Rich, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and the Tony Robbins books.
Know thyself. That is the most important thing.

I highly recommend that you take the disc profile which is you can actually do that free at one of my websites. It allows you to determine your strengths and your weaknesses. Also, write everything down. In the past I carried around a mole skin notebook and frequently filled up one notebook every two weeks or so. Now, I have taken on mindmapping on my iPad.

Surround yourself with people who are smarter and better than you are. Notice every single person who is a disbeliever and a negative influence; when you sever the bond with them, your energy will rapidly multiply!

Q. Entrepreneurs are idea machines and that’s great. But sometimes too many good ideas can clutter the picture and stop progress. How did you harness your best ideas and bring them to fruition?

A. It’s probably one of my best skills; here's exactly what I do.
I mindmap everything. I carry either a notebook or an iPad with me everywhere I go all the time and I’m constantly writing things down. I organize those ideas and I ask myself a simple question: is there an
opportunity here or how can I monetize this?

Always start with the outcome and the result in mind. If it doesn't achieve your big, fat, hairy, audacious goal, set it aside. Opportunities can become diseases if they're not managed properly and I pursue far too many ideas and I try to do too many things already. It’s a bad habit that I have to do my best to temper.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our solopreneurs?

A. Read Lynchpin by Seth Godin and Malcolm Gladwell books, Outliers and The Tipping Point. But the best thing that you can do is sweat three to four times per week. I consistently find that people who fail in parts of their lives ignore their bodies. Without a healthy body that's reasonably toxin free, you're going to have a difficult time performing. Successful people who take care of themselves also push themselves in lots of other ways - emotionally, spiritually and physically. Don’t forget that you’ve got to take care of the vessel that’s taking care of you.

In summary, Mike is well read, has mentors, evaluates his choices and makes smart decisions, stays healthy, surrounds himself with smart people and great resources, uses his own money or leverages relationships, looks at the end goal and big picture, and knows himself well. What qualities do you have in common?

What do 6-figure solopreneurs have in common? Is there a formula, a secret code for success? Probably not, but I’ll bet that they do have a number of things in common. To discover some of their common qualities, processes, and skill sets, I set out to interview a few solopreneurs whose businesses are bringing in $100,000 or more in annual PROFITS. This series entitled, Six-Figure Solopreneurs: The Common Link, will feature amazing men and women who single-handedly grew their businesses to profitable, meaningful ventures and are willing to share the how and why of it all!

This week’s guest is Sue Berk of Sue Berk Designs, which was founded in 2002 and is based in Dallas, TX. After hand-painting ceramic crosses for several years, the popularity of her products grew quickly, and Sue was overwhelmed with orders. After searching tirelessly for a factory offshore that could duplicate her delicate style, Sue was finally able to mass-produce, and soon was selling her products in over 1000 retail stores and on 20+ websites. New items were added to the collection, such as wood frames, and baby blankets. The collection features 57 ceramic crosses, 6 wooden frames, and 12 baby blankets. Sue Berk Designs products are sold in over 1000 retail stores across the United States, and on 20+ websites.

Q. Sue, when you started your company did you have a plan in place, or did you just “wing it?”
A. I had a definite plan in place. Everything did not always go as planned, but there was a definite plan! I am not a “wing it” kind of girl.

Q. Looking back, what would you say are the two important personal qualities or characteristics that are most responsible for your success?
A. Creativity and perseverance.

Q. Have you ever had a mentor or a coach?
A. Not a formal one. But my mom was my hero, before she passed away. She was the most organized, efficient, person I know. She was also very creative. Not artistic, like me, but she had creative solutions for any problem. I learned a lot from her.

Q. Sue, what was the key motivating factor in your drive and determination to become your own boss?
A. I always wanted to be my own boss and I don’t like being told what to do! I was tired of the Corporate America thing. In my mind there was a lot of wasted money and time and I knew I could run my own company better. I just didn’t know what kind of company I was going to start. The type of product and the way I got into it all kind of happened by chance. If you want to read more about this, check out the Dallas Morning News Article in the Press section of my website—she said it nicely and concisely.

Q. Was funding ever an issue for you? If so, how did you solve the problem?
A. No, I socked away money before I started the company and used that to make my initial investment. I think this is a key reason I have been successful. I didn’t have to worry about repaying a loan.

Q. What was your most challenging moment to date and how did you overcome it?
A. When I placed my first order from the factory in China. Up until then, I had been hand painting crosses and the risk and investment was pretty small. Once I went off-shore I had to make the decision to buy about 20,000 crosses in one shot. I was afraid that maybe they wouldn’t sell and I would lose all my money. It was a calculated risk. I remember my supplier telling me about re-ordering procedures and I thought to myself “ha! I won’t be re-ordering this stuff for 2 years.” Within 8 months I had to re-order everything. Business was better than I thought it would be! That’s how I overcame it! (That and blind faith!)

Q. What is the greatest reward in running your own business?
A. Being able to listen to whatever I want to on the radio all day (Sirius satellite), and being able to nurse my 6 month old son and work from the house while my nanny takes care of him. Also, people telling me how much they like our products or how meaningful one of our products was to them when they had a baby. Many of the people who buy our crosses/blankets/frames have prayed for a child for a long time, or have a child with issues, and our products remind them of what a miracle their child is to them. I love hearing these stories.

Q. Do you have a “top strategy” for success that you’d like to share?
A. Don’t ever expect anything to happen without a lot of hard work.

Q. Sue, entrepreneurs are idea machines, and that’s great. But sometimes too many good ideas can clutter the picture and stop progress. How did you harness your best ideas and bring them to fruition?
A. For me, I give the customer what they want. If ever something is a slow seller, I discontinue it. It’s nice to have a lot of products to offer customers, but too many is confusing as well. Listening to the customer is very important.

I am also very focused. I have a lot of creative ideas, but I always try to keep the focus on my goal.

Summing it up, Sue is focused, creative, hard-working, a planner, loves her freedom, was well financed and believes in herself - definitely a Million Dollar Mindset! Does this sound like you? Let’s see what our other six-figure soloists have to say. Join me next week as the series continues!

To help you stay lean and laser-focused during your launch, I caught up with Karin Abarbanel, an expert on start-up strategies and co-author of Birthing the Elephant: the woman’s go for it! guide to overcoming the big challenges of launching a business. Part portable success coach, part action guide, this book maps the launch cycle, taking entrepreneurs step by step through the first 22 months of a start-up -showing them smart moves to make and pitfalls to avoid. I had the pleasure of interviewing Karin last week on my weekly show on the Her Insight Network, The Million Dollar Mindset, and I couldn't resist introducing you to her expertise here as well. Karin and I discussed how to avoid cash-draining pitfalls by:

Q: Just how important is it to bypass the most common cash pitfalls that the entrepreneurs you interviewed said warned against?

A: It’s critical! Launching is a risky business. To beat the odds, you need more than a promising product or service– you also need a smart start-up strategy. Maximizing your launch dollars is key during the first 24 months–that make-or-break time when every decision counts and mistakes can really endanger your success. But here’s the good news: even if seed funding is a hot button for you, by tapping your ingenuity and leveraging your cash, you can turn a tight budget from a liability into an asset and provide a strong springboard for growth.

Q: For Birthing the Elephant, you interviewed hugely successful entrepreneurs like Bobbi Brown, and Liz Lang, as well as launchers in a whole range of fields. What’s some of the best frontline advice they gave about avoiding costly pitfalls?

A: Based on the feedback we received, when you’re in launch mode, there are a number of cost-effective action steps you can take that will really help you build a sound financial base:

Come up with a financial framework – and stay within it: Map out a budget you feel comfortable with and then make a decision to work with it. Cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset -- see this as an invitation to ignite your ingenuity rather than as a constraint. Don’t let outside suppliers persuade you to take on too much debt or more risk than you feel you can handle.

Substitute brains for bucks: Make “creativity not cash” your start-up mantra. Barter early and often: it’s one of the smartest start-up moves you can make. One entrepreneur we interviewed traded fitness workouts for legal advice; another traded gift baskets for professional photos for her website; yet another volunteered her start-up as a case study at a local college and received thousands of dollars of market research for free. The possibilities are endless and the savings can be huge.

Don’t overspend on image: Confusing image with professionalism is one of the biggest start-up mistakes you can make. Don’t get carried away with buying state-of-the-art equipment or furnishing your home office expensively. Forget the super-slick packaging or a Web site with all the latest bells and whistles.

Instead, keep your eye on delivering high quality and real value. Clients want service and results – they don’t really care about how you provide it.

Go the “guerilla marketing” route: One of the biggest traps launchers fall into is buying costly advertising or hiring a professional pr firm to make a splash in the media. Costly outlays on this front are rarely a sound start-up investment. No one is better equipped than you are to tell your story and promote your product. But make sure your pitch is newsworthy. Talk to other entrepreneurs about how they get the word out creatively and cost-effectively. As one expert observed, “you’re not in the business you’re in, you’re in marketing.” Mastering this skill is vital to your success.

Don’t outsource prematurely: Hiring other people to do work that you can do yourself too early can create a serious cash drain. Whether it’s Twittering, writing a press release or building a simple, but functional website, you’ll be amazed at what you can do when you decide to “figure it out or find it out.”

But make sure you don’t spend 80 percent of your time on trivial pursuits when you should be finding clients and marketing.

Vet vendors carefully: Just because you’re a start-up doesn’t mean you should turn to another start-up for expertise in areas where you definitely require outside support. Do your homework before you engage anyone. Make sure the people you work with have the right experience and can deliver what they say they can on budget and on time.

Watch your pricing: Under pricing is a trap that many start-ups fall into. But if you don’t price your products or services profitably, you can easily find yourself playing financial catch-up – not a winning strategy. Knowing how to price fairly and profitably is a survival skill that you need to acquire.

Stay true to your original vision: When new ideas crop up they can be very seductive. But it’s especially important when you’re already stretched six ways to Sunday to keep your eye on the prize. Stay focused on your original business concept and the core value you want to offer. You can always branch out later, but if you get sidetracked early in your launch you may end up wasting money and momentum.

I held fast to my beliefs that social networking would eat away at my productivity levels and create disappointment when no one responded to my tweets – until my friend landed a spot on a popular network television morning show as a result of a Twitter relationship.

Looking back all of those years I see how bull-headed I was, but I also know that my reluctance was a fear of the unknown. Today I can say that I’ve met some wonderful people online, generated business, helped others, and made some great discoveries. Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve been holding back, it’s never too late. Jump on the bandwagon and just see what happens!

Ah, but where to begin? While the term “social media” encompasses much more than FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn, these social networking sites are a great place to start for a business owner who would like to dip their toe into the web 2.0 culture. Begin by simply creating profiles on each of these sites. You will need a very brief bio or write-up about your mission and purpose. LinkedIn is more in-depth but you can take your time filling in the profile information. It took me about 6 months to make my profile complete!

There is a handy “help” guide on Twitter so you can easily familiarize yourself with the lingo. You can also search how-to videos on YouTube to learn more about creating your profiles and using these sites to their greatest potential. But here are a few basic tips to get you going.

Two for One! – Your Twitter updates (comments) can feed into your Facebook page. This is great because it shares your ideas and information with both audiences. Here’s how.

What to say? This is the one that stumps most people. Remember that social networking is about building relationships, helping others, and letting the world know about what you do and who you are. It’s important to infuse your personality into your updates. When people see your personality shine through they are more likely to engage in conversation with you. Be authentic and show your genuine interest in what others are doing and saying. Think about what you would say when you meet someone at a networking event. It’s really the same thing; you shake someone’s hand, listen to what they have to say, comment, give your elevator speech, infuse some personal information, perhaps a joke or two, exchange information, and stay in touch when appropriate. Do the same thing in social networking.

Tips for content – Do you write articles, blogs, website, newsletter or brochure content? Why recreate the wheel? Take tidbits of information from the work you’ve done and create short posts from them.
When you see a statistic, quote, blog post or point of interest, share that information in one of your posts. If you’re interested, odds are someone else is as well. Always give credit to the original source of the information.

Retweet – When someone tweets something that you find interesting, hit the retweet button. It’s a great way to share information.

Connect, connect, connect – This is not about finding only people you know. Do a search on topics of interest, read the comments and connect to people who interest you. People who are new to social networking often worry about why someone is connecting to them and what their intentions are. That’s what it’s all about. Check their profile and if it seems sane – simply connect and see what happens!

How much personal vs. business? My rule of thumb mix is about 20% personal, 40% business, and 40% interaction with others. That’s what works for me, but it’s important to do what makes you stretch just beyond your comfort zone, yet still feels authentic.

How much time should I spend on social media sites? This depends on your goal. If it’s simply to get acquainted and see what happens, try 15-20 minutes 3 times a week. If you wish to build relationships, find resources, and gain business, then at least an hour a day may be required. There are many tools available to keep you organized and efficient on Twitter; twitterfeed, tweetdeck and hootsuite are amongst the most popular. Don't worry about using these until you've become proficient; just know they're there waiting for you!

How do I know if it’s working? Success is measured in many ways and like most marketing much of it isn’t directly measureable. I know that my presence on social media sites is working for me because I enjoy it; I’ve made it manageable, met great people, learned a lot, found good resources, and gained clients.

How do I find the time? Schedule your social networking time just like you would an appointment. Put it in your calendar and stick with it. Consider it marketing and know that it takes practice. I usually combine checking my email and checking out FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter - I schedule these activities into timeslot somewhere in my day.

Stay safe. Facebook has new privacy and terms of use language in place - know that your information is not private on any social networking site. Don’t talk about going on vacation and boarding the dogs, the broken lock on your front door, or think that your comments about an issue – or goodness forbid - someone else are not going any further. Use the common sense approach.

Have fun! Don’t spend time worrying about someone disagreeing with you or thinking you’re dumb. Get used to it, these things happen. But isn’t that what makes this world such an interesting place? Everyone has an opinion and varying viewpoints. I find the social networking environment to be friendly and forgiving overall – enjoy it, make friends and just see what happens!

An elevator speech is not about you; it’s about your prospect’s needs and the emotion behind them. If you fall into the common trap of telling someone about how you got into this business, why you care so much, blah, blah, blah, you will lose them. While you’re telling your story or (goodness forbid) educating them about what a virtual assistant, coach, SEO expert or physical therapist is, they will be thinking, “I wonder if this guy makes any real money,” or “I really don’t feel like a lecture right now, I just want a drink.” Take the ego out of it by making this time about them, not you, and drive your message home.

Here are some tips to help bring the wow-factor to your 30-second opportunity. If you wow them you’re more likely to create a connection with someone who may become a great resource, new client, mentor or friend.

Your 30-second message is not about educating, explaining, or boring your acquaintance; it’s about sparking enough interest to prompt them to do something; ask for your card, introduce you to someone you should know, or even make an appointment to learn more. If you give them a reason to want to know more, they will act on their instinct.
Here are some steps and examples.

Put action in your speech – Instead of “I am” use phrases like “I teach, create, develop.” People who do are just seen as doers; people who inspire, teach and create are seen as experts. Who’s the expert here?

Before: I am a virtual assistant who takes on technical tasks for my clients.
After: I teach business owners how to save time and aggravation so they are free to do what they love and increase their profits.

Use the step-process approach – Programs, Methods, and Processes sell. If your work can be marketed as a 5-step process (no less than 3 steps, no more than 10) to a powerful end result, people will pay attention. Look at the difference here:

Before: I help business owners organize their office space so they can be more productive.
After: I teach busy entrepreneurs my proven 5-step process to create an organized work environment and streamline their workflow. My clients have less stress and more profit.

Hit home – People buy with emotion; nearly all purchases are based on a need or desire that strikes an emotional chord. Find the emotion in your target market. What is their deepest problem, concern or desire? People are almost always looking for more money, improved relationships, better health, weight loss or to somehow make life easier, happier and less stressful. Find the need and desire and speak about them directly, don’t beat around the bush. In the example below, working parents will naturally worry about qualifications and safety when looking for someone to care for their children. Which would you feel most comfortable with?

Before: My Company helps busy parents find the right nanny to care for their children.
After: Nannies For You is a licensed, bonded service whose family advocate matches loving parents with highly qualified, experienced Nannies. Our pre-screened candidates go through rigid background checks and provide care, guidance and fun for children so parents can go to work worry and guilt free.

Do you have more tips? What’s worked for you? What’s NOT worked for you? Share your insights with us here!

Entrepreneurs are multi-dimensional, passionate individuals so living a whole life is more important to their health and well being than almost anything. They are risk takers, yet are too often tucked behind their desk - safely focusing on the tedious aspects of their business.

It’s easy to get caught in this trap, but really, how productive can you be when you are missing your family and friends, yearning for another sky diving adventure, and neglecting your workout time? There is no shortage of studies sighting that employee effectiveness rises when time off is taken on a regular basis, but entrepreneurs can easily lose sight of this fact, working for months – even years – without time away from the business.

It’s a fact; productivity levels drop with lack of life balance. You need to recharge your batteries on a consistent basis. When you take time out your creativity, endurance, happiness and, most likely your profits, will all increase. Here are some simple ways to recharge.

1. Focus on what is important. Ask yourself, “What is most important to me in life, other than a successful business?” Is it spending time with family and friends? Being in nature? Connecting with your spirituality? Now ask, “How much of my time do I spend in this area of my life?” Odds are you are spending the least amount of time in the most important life categories. As you increase time in these areas you will feel more complete, less guilty, and more focused. It may seem impossible to escape work after only 5 or 6 hours, but give it a try and see how you feel the next day. Spend an extra couple of hours a week with the kids, your mate, your friends or extended family. You may just find yourself able to complete things more effectively as your focus and clarity returns after some hours of leisure.

2. Take a mini-vacation. Perhaps you can’t afford a full-blown vacation right now; that’s okay (for the time being). How can you get away from your familiar surroundings without getting on an airplane? Is there a little town nearby that offers unique restaurants and shopping? Do you like amusement parks? How about a picnic or hiking the trails? A day at the beach perhaps? Think of a one-day getaway that is low budget but enjoyable. You’ll be surprised at how this can renew your spirit!

3. Schedule date nights. If you are married or have a significant other, make sure you are spending quality time together. You chose one another for a reason, spend time enjoying it! Reignite the passion and appreciate the value in having a mate. Imagine if you were going through life right now without someone to lean on and love, do your best not to take it for granted.

4. Spend time working away from the office. I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop, enjoying the presence of familiar faces as I write this article. Stepping away from my work environment every day gives me an emotional boost. So many business owners are social, people-loving individuals, yet they isolate themselves for days at a time. One of the reasons you probably started your own business is because you value your freedom; enjoy it! Take your laptop outside, go to the library, think about joining a networking group or find another work-related weekly event.

5. Take frequent breaks in your day. While it’s important to have two-hour chunks of focused time in your work schedule, it’s equally important to give your brain and body a rest. Schedule short walks, lunch away from the computer, and other pleasant activities into your day. You will find that you are able to complete tasks more quickly and efficiently as this habit becomes part of your daily routine.

What are your life balance survival tips? Share them here and spread the balance!

Today I spoke with a business owner who finds herself exactly in that position. Her business was born in the basement of her home and now she is leasing property, outsourcing, hiring employees and much, much more. Kimbra Orr is the founder of Kimbra Studios, a thriving custom photo jewelry company that has reached its tipping point.

Q. Kimbra, you are a creative individual. With Kimbra Studios growing at such a rapid rate how do you get it all done? How have you identified the “right” times to bring on more help?

A. As a creative, I have learned to deal with a mind that jumps into an infinite number of directions every minute. The strength in that is a thought process full of ideas and insight. Coming up with new ideas is not a challenge for me, carrying it through to its full potential definitely is! But photo jewelry seems to be a different kind of thought process for me than all the others. I’ve always felt the need to follow through and stick with it.

When I could no longer keep up with demand and more and more photographers began selling my products in their studios, I knew it was time to hire some part time help. When there were so many cars parked in front of my home, with people coming and going all day long, I knew it was time to find my first retail location.

Today I have 8 part time employees who create my products and help with customer service, but I am still running the day-to-day operations. I look forward to the time that I am totally free to do what I started out doing best – designing and dreaming. I am not effective sitting behind a desk worrying about logistics but I had to do it to understand every aspect of my business. My next step is to bring on an Operations Manager, but I have to understand how I want the business to run so I can then find someone who fits my personality, balances me and my company and shares my values and priorities. When that person is in place I can free my mind to find new ideas, market the company and create new opportunities…to be the Visionary. I think it’s impossible to be a Visionary from a position of worrying about logistics. To be given the gift of an angel I will call an Operations Manager will be such a relief to me – it is difficult to explain. It is like someone taking a huge weight off my shoulders and as my understanding of this expansion grows, I know it’s close to that time.

Q. It sounds exhausting Kimbra! Do you ever feel like throwing your hands up in the air and giving up?

A. In the past 12 years there have been many, many times that I have said to myself -with tears in my eyes - “What are you doing? You are not a jeweler, you’re not a photographer, you’re not a chemist and you definitely don’t know how to run a business.” When these negative recordings run through my mind like a broken record I stop and remind myself that I AM running a company successfully…hiring and managing people, leasing buildings, putting production processes into place, signing contracts with major corporations, achieving profits during an economic recession…and I understand that I am doing exactly what I was designed to do and there is nothing else I would rather do.

Q. Do you have any support during this time Kimbra? How do you handle the stress of it all?

A. One of my biggest blessings and the reason the negative thoughts are thrown out quickly is because I have an incredible mentor and a great coach. Having these two people in my life has made all the difference. They push me when I need it, pull me up when I’m down and they believe in me. Surrounding yourself with knowledge and wisdom is critical to success. Where I lack experience they have already been down that road and learned that lesson so I am spared from a lot of pain!

Through this journey of discovery called “owning a business” I have found what fulfills me and gives me purpose. I am on my way to doing is what I want most for the other people in my life as well….on my way to Finding Wonderful.

Solopreneurs don’t always consider the long-term plan, including things like outsourcing and developing products. If we think small we feel small, and are more likely to stay small -it’s as simple as that. Today I would like to encourage you to stretch your brilliant, creative mind to see your world as you want it to be in 3 years from now. Begin by asking yourself these questions:

In three years from now…

How many hours a day/week/month will I work?
How will my cash flow have changed?
What is/are my primary revenue stream?
In what ways will my business have grown?

If you see your days, cash flow and business much in the same way as you see it today, ask yourself,
“Is that how I really want things to be?”

If you’re content and meeting your goals, that’s fabulous. But if you want additional growth, freedom, and financial independence begin by creating rules for your business – and understand your vision.

Have a Plan and a Vision – We tend to get caught up trying to keep up. Schedule a day away from the office to create a map for your business. Chart its progress along the way and know that you may want or need to take a detour every now and then. What is your plan? How will your business grow? How can you plan for that growth? Do you have ideas for passive revenue? Will you add products or services? Understand where you’re headed and you will get there much more effectively.

Don’t Go Solo All The Way – Doing it alone limits your growth potential. As you create your plan build in a description of your “job.” Spending the majority of your time bringing in new business and building relationships will help you grow. If you provide a service that depends on you, like massage therapy, think about product sales, hiring other service providers on a freelance basis, and perhaps joining a network marketing business that fits into your vision and that you feel passionate about. Also, outsource tasks like building a website and bookkeeping. This will allow you more time to network and build your business.

Play by Your Rules – Plans need to be flexible; new opportunities and ideas may arise and things can change. But when you build your vision and the steps to get there, you can remind yourself of the long-term goal before charting a new direction. When you create your plan for growth, consult that plan carefully before committing yourself to a new project or direction. It’s helpful to have a timeline in place as well.

Don’t Compare - I made a big mistake when I got on board with Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets - I followed all of the coaches that appeared to have what I wanted. “I’ll learn from them,” I thought. And I did learn a few things, but mostly I sank into a slump. The truth is everyone puts on their best face when they’re in public but we have no idea what their world truly looks like. It’s good to keep an eye on the competition but do it for positive reasons and strategic planning purposes. Focus on YOU, your plan, and your desires. They are the only things that count. Compare your progress to your plan and nothing else.

Celebrate Your Successes as They Come – So many business owners minimize their success because they measure it only in terms of money. This lack of recongnition can cause a ripple effect of demotivating thoughts and behaviors. As you meet your strategic milestones and tackle difficult hurdles, celebrate them! Tell 3 friends; take a little time off for a long walk or a glass of wine with someone who will celebrate with you. Working with a coach is a great opportunity to bring awareness to your achievements. Many of my clients will make comments like, “I had no idea how much I have accomplished this month!” You won’t realize it unless you chart your course and recognize how far you’ve traveled.

Of course you have your own personality and I’m sure it’s charming and communicative, but if your communication style is inflexible then you may not be garnering your best results.

If you are a parent for instance, you’ve probably softened your words and varied the tone of your voice – from soothing to animated, even silly – when you’re speaking with your young child. Why? Because you instinctively know that, while your baby can’t understand your words, everyone responds to tones and expression. We as parents all know the power of baby talk and we will communicate in that style if it makes baby happy!

But when we’re addressing adults we forget that every individual has a preferred style of communication that is dictated by their personality style. Being flexible in your style of communication is key if you really want them to “get it.” Doing so can increase your close rates, improve your marriage, and diminish frustration when dealing with employees.

The very first step is to listen and watch. If you are speaking with a prospect for the very first time, encourage them to do much of the talking so you can assess their personality style and communicate accordingly. A corporate executive, for instance, may be very directive. A director wants to cut to the chase and will use their words economically. Approaching this personality-type in a touchy-feely, creative mode will drive a wedge between you faster than you can pass a hot potato! In order to communicate effectively with this person you must get directly to the point, be concise, never make excuses, and align the outcome with their goals. All in about 5 minutes!

If you are meeting with someone who seems very chatty and wants to discuss their life, including the outcome of their son’s soccer game, you are in the presence of a socializer. This person wants you to be excited about things with and for them. Getting down to business without a social flair will create mistrust and send him packing.

Read the cues and follow suit; it’s no different than speaking to your baby in baby talk or taking a translation book with you to a foreign country. It’s just another form of communication; not a personality transplant, nor is it manipulative. You are respecting your listener’s style by adapting to it and speaking their language. You will like the results and so will they.

My favorite resource for understanding personality-styles is Dr. Tony Alessandra's, The Platinum Rule. There are other great resources out there and they all say very much the same thing – just in different styles!

You can see the basic highlights of the 4 personality-types here. Let me know how you do once you begin to incorporate these changes into your work and personal life!

Luckily, I got my fears under control and the session went well, but - wow - I really wasn't prepared for this level of self-doubt.

Do you ever feel like you're going to be "found out"? Like people think you know more than you really do? Well, join the ranks of millions. That's right; so many people experience this fear that it's even got a name: The Impostor Syndrome. Even top-level, powerful executives and successful business owners experience varying levels of The Impostor Syndrome. Many experts who appear to be as cool as a cucumber feel a flutter of fear when they face a new experience or the burden of decision-making. While outwardly confident, they may feel like they’re “pulling the answers out of a hat” rather than factoring in the value of their experience, wisdom and intellect. They feel like “an intellectual phony.”

High achieving women most commonly suffer from the affects of The Impostor Syndrome, wondering if their choice of words will sound right or if their decisions will be accepted as sound. They guard a secret sense that others may see them as more capable than they really are and that their success is due to luck rather than their ability.

If this sounds familiar to you, know that you're not alone. At one time or another most of us wonder how we're going to "fake it till we make it" without being found out. However, if you find that your self-doubt limits you and is blocking your success, then you may want to reach out for some support and resources. There are therapists who specialize in this arena and many life coaches are able to help their clients resolve self-doubt and fear. I’ve also listed a few books that may help.

What are your experiences with The Impostor Syndrome? If you have any great resources or AhHa moments to share we’d love to hear from you!

Recommended Reading:
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, Susan Jeffers (1987)
The Impostor Syndrome, John Graden
How to Overcome Your Secret Fear of Failure: Recognizing and Beating Your Achilles Syndrome, Petruska Clarkson

1. Make sure that your personal values are reflected in your branding, team management and business systems. Know what your top 5 values are and use them as a tool to measure whether or not your business is on track. For instance, if connection or relationship are two of your top personal values,
you want your customers and your team members to feel this from your messaging and from your interaction. Connection as a value may look like personal notes written to your clients and team or it may mean personal check-in phone calls. Whatever your values are, if they are not accurately
represented in your business, you may not be attracting clients that match your vision.

2. Keep tabs on your personal goals and make sure that the business you create allows you to achieve them. Write down your personal short, mid and long terms goals and create task lists to achieve them. Then, check in at least once a month to see if you need to make adjustments or if you are closer than you think to that trip to the Hawaiian Islands. Your business is a big part of your life and knowing that you are on track to achieve both personal and professional success allows you to enjoy the journey.

3. Put your spy cap on and start looking for the gaps in your systems. Businesses can seem like they are running themselves if we don't take control of every aspect of them. From client attraction and engagement to client services and client retention, entrepreneurs must think of the experience they want their customers and team members to feel and create every detail according to those top 5 personal values. This can seem overwhelming, but once you put your systems in place, you will be able to see with absolute clarity when and where they fail so you can make corrections and get back on track.

4. Manage your team with care and respect and they will watch your back. Putting simple systems in place that ensure a healthy level of communication, support and community will relieve pressure on you and make everyone else feel empowered. Create a schedule with weekly team phone meetings, action item progress reports, monthly team feedback and personally written thank you and you will have a happy team. Remember that when you build a team that shares your values and vision and empower them to utilize their greatest skills talents, you create fertile ground for success for everyone involved.

5. On a weekly basis, make a commitment to tap into what inspires you! The most successful entrepreneurs are extremely disciplined, but what they include in their rigorous schedules is a fountain of creativity. Whether meditation, exercise, nature, art or reading are your thing... pay attention
to what inspires you and start injecting it into your routine. Make a list of 5 things that inspire you and make room for them in your calendar. It's as simple as that. By regularly seeking out that which inspires you, your level of pure life enjoyment and creativity will go through the roof while your level of stress and overwhelm will trickle away.

Britt Michaelian, MA is an exhibiting artist, award-winning filmmaker,bestselling author, entrepreneur, business coach and mother of three. Specializing in working with moms who are looking to start a passion-based lifestyle business, Britt has created a revolutionary 12-week start up program that walks moms through the basics of launching and running a business while raising a family. Sign up for her monthly Smart Business Start Up Q&A teleseminar and the Work Smart Mompreneurs ezine!

Through the process that Iwas developing I was able to realize that my image of wealth was not such a pretty picture. I’m not sure when or why I painted that picture, but it was stopping me from moving forward.

Below are some of the questions I asked myself at the time. Before asking them of yourself, take a moment to think about where you might be “stuck.” Do you find yourself making excuses or procrastinating about certain things in your life or business? Think of one goal, desire or dream that you have not yet achieved and answer these questions:

Your answers may provide insights around your limiting beliefs, but that’s just the beginning. How do we change these beliefs and knock down the brick wall? Sometimes the simple awareness alone is enough to break through the wall, but my next discovery was that we need help with our strong limiting beliefs. We can't always change with shear willpower because the things that keep us from moving forward are stored at the cellular level. That’s right, the negative thoughts, worry, and stress can come from a level deep inside of us that we can’t just decide to change. These come from negative life experiences that we literally download into our cellular memory. They become a part of who we are and letting go isn’t always easy.

There are a number of methods that address this problem; the method that I use in my life and as a coach is called The Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT. The success rate with EFT is very high and I find that its results are permanent. Whatever method you choose, it’s important that people understand that the procrastination, fear, and stress that comes from these embedded beliefs do not make us weak or inferior in any way. We all build walls around ourselves at some point in our life; it’s just the way the human mind works. It’s OK to reach out for help, breaking through the walls alone is not easy, and sometimes it’s impossible.

Are you ready to create change, once and for all? What steps will you take?

I am conducting a full day event on April 24th in the Chicagoland area where attendees will learn this powerful technique and how to take down their walls – once and for all! Learn more here!

Q. Dan, what is personal branding and why is it important today?

A. Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others. It’s a timeless concept. The two reasons why branding has always existed on a person level is that we always have to sell ourselves in various situations, from trying to impress our managers so that we can take on bigger projects, to convincing our friend to see a movie. Also, we’re always being judged based on first impressions, most of which occur online with a simple Google search. From the clothing you wear, to how you behave and interact with other people, to your body language, everything is tied to your overall brand.

Corporations are starting to act more like individuals because consumers demand brand engagement and two-way conversations. That’s why you see employees tweeting and updating their status messages under a corporate umbrella. The same strategies companies use to brand products can be leveraged to brand people, such as blogging, search engine optimization, and press releases.

For anyone interested in having a successful career, whether you’re a job seeker, consultant, student, employee or entrepreneur, your personal brand is everything. It’s your reputation, the size and strength of your network, and what unique value you can contribute to a company or your clients.
What are the benefits?

Just like corporate brands, people can demand a premium price (a higher salary) based off of brand value. Coca Cola is more expensive than a supermarket brand, yet it tastes similar. Consumer’s are willing to pay more for Coke because of media attention, commercials, distribution in major chains such as McDonalds, the history and story of the brand, and the overall experience people have when they drink a Coke. Another benefit is that you will become more visible and be recognized by your peers, hiring managers, other successful business people, and entrepreneurs. With visibility comes speaking engagements, jobs, clients, celebrity and the opportunity to make a difference! People will want to work with you, work for you, and support your career.

The network that you develop because of your brand can protect you from today’s uncertain work environment and allow you to grow your business. Branding also gives you a sense of being, confidence and purpose.

Q. What are the steps in personal branding?

A. The four steps in the personal branding process, as outlined in Me 2.0 are:
• Discover: In order to really understand who you are and carve out a career path moving forward, investing in self-discovery is critical. In fact, if you don't spend time learning about yourself, your values, personal mission, and unique attributes, you will be at a disadvantage when marketing your brand to others. Start by asking yourself "what do I want to be known for, and then select a niche so that you can position yourself in the marketplace.
• Create: Your personal branding toolkit may consist of a blog, website, business card, resume, video resume, reference document, cover letter, portfolio, social network profiles, or a combination. Your brand must be consistent and reinforce each part of your toolkit.
• Communicate: Now it's time to use everything you've created to let people know you exist. You can communicate your brand by attending professional networking events, writing articles for magazines and media sites, commenting on blogs, connecting with people on social networks, and reaching out to the press.
• Maintain: As you grow, mature, and accelerate in your career, everything you've created has to be updated and accurately represent the current "brand you." Also, you need to monitor your brand online to ensure all conversations about you are positive and factual. You can do this by using a combination of tools, including a Google Alert for your name.

Q. Why should entrepreneurs care about personal branding?
1. If you don’t brand yourself first, someone else will brand you.
2. Venture capitalists, angel investors, and partners want to work with strong personal brands that have successful track records.
3. Your personal brand is transferable, so if your business fails, you don’t have to start from scratch again.
4. People are searching for you or people like you online, and if you don’t have a solid brand presence, you won’t be taken seriously.
5. A lot of entrepreneurs, especially internet entrepreneurs, have to build large networks before they generate media and investor attention.

Dan Schawbel, recognized as personal branding guru by The New York Times, is the bestselling author of Me 2.0, a national speaker, and the publisher of both the award-winning Personal Branding Blog and Personal Branding Magazine. Dan is the youngest Business Week columnist, and just started his own company called Millennial Branding, LLC.

Some solopreneurs are very happy being solo-practitioners. Independent coaches, massage therapists and hair stylists, are a few good examples of the solo practitioner model. They will take on only the number of clients necessary to pay the bills and when they’re ready to retire, they simply close shop. If you already have financial security and just want to do your job, this is a fine model.

Others want to sell their practice someday, solopreneurs can do that too! Intellectual property, client lists, websites, and more create value for your company that most definitely comes with a price tag. Some don’t care about selling, but want to create wealth. You are much less likely to create wealth if you are doing it all alone and outsourcing is one piece of the model for growth. I’ve covered many resources in my previous blogs about joint ventures, advisory boards, and virtual assistants, to name a few.
But identifying resources is only one piece of the puzzle. Getting over your resistance to delegating is a whole different topic! Here are the most common delegation myths that I hear, do you have another to add?

Myth: I can’t afford to hire anyone.

Fact: Yes, you can find a way. In addition to the formula in Solving Your Growing Pains, you can look at other creative ways to afford help. I have clients whose parents and sibs help and I have many, many clients who see wonderful results with college interns. Interview your interns like you would an employee. Communicate with them well, listen to what they have to say, and you may see these eager, educated, trendsetters make a change to your business.

Myth: I don’t have the time to train anyone.

Fact: If you don’t make the time you will be a slave to your business forever. My clients have their new assistants, project managers, VA’s, interns, etcetera; create training pages for their tasks as they learn the job. This saves a ton of time when you have turnover. You can also set aside tasks to use as training projects. Schedule in the time and respect your schedule and long term goals.

Myth: No one else can do it right.

Fact: That’s your fault and no one else’s. If you have strong hiring skills, good instincts, the ability to communicate, and patience, then you can find the person to do the job right. Always implement a thirty to sixty-day trial period and if the person isn’t working out, move on to the next until you get it right. Resist the temptation to hang on to someone who is not doing the job well because you’ve put time into them; this will only cost you more money, time and aggravation. If you find that no one is doing the job well, I would suggest you hire a coach to help you find and train the right person.

Also, remember that your way is not the only way. I have a client who would not hire anyone to help pack and ship her products because she had a system and no one else could do it as quickly as she could. She also believed she couldn’t afford the help. She was spending the wee-hours in her basement doing this arduous work and, as a result, was exhausted by day. She had a nice surprise when she hired a part- time person and empowered her to run this department. The devoted part-timer developed best-practices that expedited the shipping process, hired a new delivery service, and saved a lot of money in the end.

Myth: It will cost me more money in the long run.

Fact: I have seen business owner’s put money out to pay for a freelancer’s time and have to have the work done over again. In fact, this is not uncommon. But if you place a value on your time and look at the long term picture, more often than not, you will still save money. Once you build the right team and get these tasks off your plate you are free to grow your business and your bank account.

Soon we find out that a few things have influenced that equation. We begin to get overwhelmed with things like marketing and networking, administrative work, accounting, balancing the personal life with work, and – if you’re lucky – growing pains.

Basically growing pains in a small business equate to lack of time and resources. After all, “solo” means doing it alone, right? Not always. One of the answers to typical growing pains is to outsource the things that are non-entrepreneurial tasks. Michael Gerber, author of the popular business book, The e-myth, describes this work as the “technician’s” work. The technician’s work includes the list above as well as the work you may be doing yourself if you are a web designer, graphic artist, or any type of service provider.

But how do you afford it? Since you’re so bogged down with day-to-day work instead of growing the business, funds are limited. Here’s one of the formula’s I use:

1) Make a list of resources for increasing revenue: new clients, a new market, upselling or increasing business from current clients, etc.

2) Calculate how much revenue you could bring in and the length of time it would take to increase profits if you had 10-20 hours per week to do nothing but marketing and sales.

3) Make a list of your most time-consuming tasks and separate them into administrative, book keeping, and technician’s work. You may add other categories as appropriate. How many hours per week do you spend on these tasks?

4) Determine an hourly wage for outsourcing the most time consuming tasks. In most cases, there is enough admin work to take off of the solopreneur’s plate to save them 15-20 hours per week. For the example we’re working with here, let’s say you could hire a virtual assistant or an offices assistant for $15 per hour. That’s $300 a week for 20 hours, or $1200 per month.

Now, how long would it take you to increase revenue by $1200 per month if you had 20 hours a week to focus on doing just that? Probably not long. Most of my clients will tell me it would take 2 months or so. So the next step is to put away $2400 to secure 2 month’s salary for your new administrative assistant. This may take some time, but be diligent about it. You can do it! Within 4 months of hiring your assistant (or appropriate contractor) you will see your profits growing and your sanity returning.

This is just one solution, but you get the picture. For other ways to increase your productivity, download my free audio and workbook on Increasing Your Productivity by 40% at www.MarlaTabaka.com.

Q: Sally, what is the #1 secret for authors to gain PR on television, newspapers, on-line publications and magazines?

A: Be timely, and have a great Hook! Here are two examples of how I got booked by being timely:
First I was quoted in MomLogic.com, which is an offshoot of AOL Living, with this pitch during the presidential primaries:

Joe Biden's Mother-in-Law Dies
How to Make Peace with Your Mother-in-Law, Before it's Too Late!

I also got booked on nationally syndicated, The Daily Buzz with this one:
October 26th is Mother-in-Law Day
How To Turn Your Mother-in-Law From Your Biggest Critic into Your #1 Fan in 3 Simple Steps!

And, (Marla's personal favorite) I got booked on Fox & Friends with this tweaked pitch:
Barack Obama's Mother-in-Law to Move into White House
How to Create a Lifetime of Peace With Your In-Laws!

Q: Many people would benefit from having a celebrity endorse their book. How does one go about doing that?

A: The key is to make it as easy as possible for them to reply. Your request should include the following:

- Cover letter
- Copy of your book
- Self-addressed-stamped envelope
- Sample testimonials that they can use as a template
- Table of Contents, chapter titles and a sample chapter

Getting a good endorsement or testimonial can take time, but if you do not hear back from them in two or three weeks send a follow-up letter or email.

To find contact information for many celebrities' representatives, visit www.whorepresents.com or www.contactanycelebrity.com . www.CelebrityBlurbs.com will tell you the key agents or PR people you need to get in touch with to contact any celebrity. It's just $1 for a seven day trial.

Also, do not discount the value of endorsements from your fellow authors! The endorser does not have to be known in order to make a tremendous impact. The fact that they are an author in and of itself carries great weight.

Q: How about Bloggers? Can you give us an example of how you can get others to build a buzz about your book? What's in it for them, and why would they do this?

A: Bloggers need material all the time. Offer to provide them with a prepared Q&A, or a short article about your topic or area of expertise. Offer your book as a giveaway, either a real book or an eBook version. During holiday time, I got about 40-50 bloggers posting my book on their site. How do you find these bloggers? Simple - pick a keyword that applies to your topic. For example, I googled, "Wedding Blogs" and got a list of over 50 million blogs. GASP! Of course, you might want to stick with the top ones with the highest traffic count. You can check a blog's popularity by going to Alexa.com and checking its ratings.

As I pulled myself back to the present, I worked hard at taking in this business owner's concept. It was then that I realized the problem — she was making me work to "get it." She had a unique, and potentially profitable, twist on her area of expertise and proceeded to explain it to me in lengthy, highly technical mumbo jumbo. It was only the passion and excitement in her voice that kept me focused and piqued my curiosity.

I often have the same experience when I visit my prospects' websites. What do they do? And who do they do it for? Now, they think they're doing a great job of explaining their product or service because every industry-specific word they can think of is scattered throughout their pages. But you know what? If I'm going to hire you it's because YOU are the industry expert and I shouldn't have to learn your language to truly understand how you can help me.

Try these simple tips to begin with: Record your 60-second pitch so you can hear it yourself. Listen to it as a newbie to your industry. Also, create a 10 second pitch.
Read your marketing content from a fresh perspective. Take a look at your homepage. Count the words over 2-3 syllables and the ones that the average "Joe" wouldn't use in their everyday vocabulary. Is your content written above the 8th grade level? Did you know that the average reading level in the US is between 8th and 9th grade?

The genius behind great content is the ability to write in a way that the marketplace can understand it without having to work too hard. Information is being pushed to us all day long, it can be exhausting! Identify with your prospect. Let them know that you understand their problem and that you can help them fix it. People buy from an emotional place, connect to their emotion.

Try starting your verbal pitch with a question or a statement that will get the person's attention. The other day I asked a solopreneur if she ever felt like she owned a hobby, rather than a business. Did she ever wonder if she'd bring home a bigger paycheck by working at the coffee shop? She laughed and asked me how I knew? Then I simply told her that I knew because I have helped hundreds of people just like her to turn their businesses into money-making machines. Simple and short; that's all it took. I had just found a new client.

Whether you're writing or speaking, ask yourself a simple question. "Am I making them work too hard?" Catch the industry-specific words and use metaphors and analogies instead. Remember that the mind thinks in pictures. The better the picture you paint, the easier it is for your prospect to grasp what you can do for them. Today you are an artist; tomorrow you are more profitable!

It was first thing Sunday morning and Larry was reading the newspaper. Of course, it was filled with distressing news and a particularly gloomy weather outlook. As Larry condemned Mother Nature for her selfish outburst and wondered why he was faced with so much negative news first thing in the morning, his energy shifted and signs of stress became apparent. His leg began to bounce, his eyes grew tired looking, and his movements became increasingly animated. I continued to enjoy my coffee, along with a good book. Simple. Sweet. Uncomplicated. Ahhh.

Intrigued by Larry's agitation, I turned my attention away from the novel and asked why snow in Chicago during the month of February was such a bad thing and why he chooses to read stories about things that upset him so much — especially first thing in the morning? Larry's unexpected response was, "Not everyone lives on Planet Pleasant like you do!" Ouch!

But you know what? I like Planet Pleasant. Of course there are things in life that get me down and concern me from time to time. When they do, I feel the impact that they have on my body, mind, productivity level, mood, and overall level of happiness. So why would I choose to worry about the weather and other things that are totally out of my control? But from Larry's perspective I wasn't being a concerned citizen and in touch with what really matters. It was quite an interesting conversation!

Two different people, two different viewpoints, two different response mechanisms. I find the contrasting perspectives fascinating. For me, it's a part of what makes the world such an exciting place; people's ideas, opinions, insights -and even fears - run the full spectrum and I love it! But what was most satisfying is that Larry and I made room for one another's viewpoints and feelings. There was no argument, no judgment -just observation and laughter. We were two strong-minded individuals thinking in two completely opposite languages, yet allowing space for, and honoring, our differences. It felt good.

My Sunday morning experience was a nice reminder that, no matter what planet we live on, it feels good to take the time to listen to what our friends, clients, and family members are saying-no matter what language they speak. To make room for different personality types and understand what makes them tick, instead of trying to change them.

Hello. My name is Marla Tabaka and I live on Planet Pleasant. From what planet do you hail?

This is the client who often pays late or argues about the amount of the invoice. This client calls or emails more frequently than the rest and demands that you have an answer for him on the spot. She expects last minute changes and somehow has a direct line of communication to your stomach because it's always tied in knots when her number shows up on caller ID. This is the client who pays the least but expects as much, or more, than your top-paying clients. And just when you think you've had enough and it's time to do something about it, this client's radar goes off and he says something really nice and tells you how much he appreciates you!

As a solopreneur it feels really scary to even think about letting go of that $500 a month (or whatever this client represents to you financially). On the other hand, our reaction to this bullying client is often strong enough to result in self-doubt, physical discomfort, frustration, and diminished belief in our ability, service or product. So let's look at what this client will cost in the long run, as well as some possible solutions.

There really is no way to put a dollar amount on the physical and emotional pain resulting from your encounters with the bully-client. But it is important to pay attention to that. If you are upset or distracted after a conversation with Mr. or Ms. Bully, how does it effect your attention span, mood, and productivity? Do you shake it off, stuffing your feelings so that they can manifest themselves in an ulcer at some later date? Or do you address the problem and go for a run or take some calming meditation time? At the very least, we want to make sure that we are discharging our negative emotions in a positive way so that our body and mind stay healthy. But it's best to find a way to take care of the bully client situation once and for all.

If you spend, say 4 hours a week, conversing with this client, but a comparable account takes only an hour a week, that additional 3-hours represents a cost of service that is not showing up on the books. Don't diminish the value of your time. It may be time to have a conversation with the problem client and honestly reveal the problem at hand. Too often we start out trying to please a client, giving more than our charges merit, and it sets the bar for our service to this client. We must take responsibility for our part in this mess! Schedule a call or a meeting to "apologize" for the miscommunication and to discuss higher billing or lower demands on your time. Explain that what has become status quo is no longer possible and open the conversation up to redefining your services and the cost associated with them. You may be surprised at your client's reaction to your willingness to shoulder the responsibility and to the fact that you are treating your business like a business.

Once you have redefined the relationship, you may have to gently remind the client of the new rules from time to time. Change is change, and not everyone takes to it immediately. This person is also accustomed to pushing the envelope and will most likely test your limits. Be diplomatic about it, offering solutions resulting in billing for the extra time or setting one brief meeting a week to address his or her concerns instead of the frequent, time consuming phone calls and emails.

Of course, not everyone is going to understand or agree with your new rules. If that is the case, try tracking your time with this client. Write it down on paper and pay attention to what you're actually giving this client. At the end of the week or month calculate the time and resources and put a price on your services. Now subtract the actual invoice amount. What has this client cost you? Also look at the number of hours you've put in on this account. If you could have those hours back and you were to devote them to some form of marketing, how quickly could you replace the lost revenue if you were to "fire" this client? Even an additional 2 hours a week dedicated to marketing will most likely lead to at least one more client. If you don't believe that, then think about upselling some of your other clients. If you were to offer your existing clients an upgraded service or additional product, how would that impact the bottom line? How many hours do you need to implement a plan like this? Also a good way to utilize the extra time.

Do you have a bully client? Or have you resolved such a situation in the past? Tell us about it here on The Solopreneur's Million Dollar Mi]]> Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:00:00 -0500 Marla Tabakahttp://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/2010/02/is_your_client_costing_you_mon.html http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/2010/02/the_dba_success_formula.html Donna Amos is a fellow coach who has supported small business owners for 22 years. She is also the founder of the fabulous solopreneur's resource, The International Association of Solopreneurs.
I asked Donna to be my guest blogger today and, wow! What a wealth of information she is. I hope you enjoy Donna's insights as much as I do! Donna demonstrates the ideal model of the Million-Dollar-Mindset in her DBA Formula for success.

The DBA Formula is simple:
'Decide you will never give up
'Believe you will achieve your dreams and then take
'Action.

Achieving goals can be seen as a compound process. You set goals with your conscious mind but you achieve them with your subconscious mind or that part of yourself that exists below the surface of your waking life.

One of the biggest obstacles a solopreneur faces is whether she truly
believes she can achieve her goals. In other words, if your belief in yourself (at the core
subconscious level) is not equally as strong as your decision and passion, it is unlikely that you will ever hit your goals.

How do you go about fostering belief in yourself?

Use tools such as affirmations, future letters and dream boards to send the right message to your subconscious mind and begin to change your non-supporting habits. The Law of Attraction shows you how to plant your seeds and allow them to germinate. But your work is not done; you must then embrace the Law of Action. Sitting on your butt and waiting for your dreams to fall into your lap can result in a trip to the poor house. Consider the situation in terms of a gardening metaphor: once you plant the seeds, their future growth depends on your ability and commitment to nurture the plants with water, sunlight, fertilizer and regular weeding. Your business requires the same kind of nurturing care. You must take action. It doesn't have to be perfect; you will adjust as you get feedback. Without action, however, you will not move forward. Just like without the proper conditions and care, plants will wither and die.

A committed decision is one of the three foundational pillars upon which your successful business is built. The first step in building a successful business is to make a decision to do so. Many small business owners jump into business and focus immediately on how to get clients, how to make money, and how to market. These are important elements but the first step to a successful business of making a conscious decision to do so has been left out of the process. Think about that for a moment. In many cases small business owners actually have said to themselves, if this doesn't work then I will.... plan B. Their decision to achieve that success seems less than whole-hearted. They're already thinking about a fallback position.

Success begins with that committed decision — a promise to yourself -- that you will do whatever it takes to achieve your dreams.

A committed decision is only the first step and requires a mindset with an unshakable belief that you have what it takes. Believing in yourself, your skills and resources are critical to your success. Your belief in yourself will determine your self-confidence. Your self-confidence determines your ability to take the necessary action for success. If you don't believe you can achieve it, you've set yourself on the path of a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will sabotage yourself to ensure that in fact you do not succeed.

"There is a difference between WISHING for a thing and being READY to receive it. No one is ready for a thing, until he believes he can acquire it. The state of mind must be BELIEF, not mere hope or wish. Open-mindedness is essential for belief. Closed minds do not inspire faith, courage, and belief." Napolean Hill

The Importance of Belief

Now that you have made a committed decision, the next step is to build your belief that you can achieve what you want in your business and life. The very fact that you can conceive of something in your mind and believe that you can do it means that you can.

That is powerful! If you find yourself saying, I am committed and I think I can do this but I am not experiencing the success I anticipated, it is likely that you have a disconnect.

The disconnect comes into play like this. Think of your belief in yourself and your abilities as if they are the size of golf ball; everything you believe about your skills, ability and worthiness fits into that golf ball.

Now think about your goals. Imagine that you have big goals -- so big they fill up an exercise ball. Do you see the disconnect? If your belief in your ability to reach your goals is the size of a golf ball, there is no way you can achieve goals that are as large as an exercise ball. No matter how close you get you will find a way to sabotage yourself because you don't truly believe you can reach those goals. You will be stuck in the mindset that the size of your ability is not adequate for achieving the big goals that you're after. That lack of belief will prevent you from taking big action necessary for success, which is the final step in the DBA formula.

If you have never read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, I encourage you to do so. The premise of the book is simple yet powerful: if you can conceive something in your mind and believe it to be true, then you can achieve it. Hill makes the case that it is scientifically impossible to create something in your mind, to believe that you can do it and then not be able to do so.

The power of your mind is truly amazing. The more you believe in yourself and your abilities, the more likely you are to accomplish your goals and reach your dreams.

To change your physical world, you first need to change your mental one. Your life is the exact outward expression of your beliefs, thought patterns and visualizations. Take control of your thoughts right now. Using exercises like visualization will help you to expand your beliefs. This requires some honest work. Examine what your beliefs about your abilities and skills are, and you may begin to understand what is holding you back. Pay attention to your thought patterns,. Identify which ones are getting in your way. Determine where you need to strengthen your beliefs and then practice visualizing yourself doing exactly what you must believe to successfully move forward.

Action is the final step to the DBA Formula.

To take action means we must be motivated. That motivation is ignited by our decision and belief around that decision. Motivation is important because it affects our lives everyday. All of our behaviors, actions, thoughts, and beliefs are influenced by our inner drive to succeed. You have the ability to increase that drive through visualization.

You have made good decisions, you believe you can accomplish that decision, and now you must follow through with action. Without action, a good decision becomes meaningless, for the desire itself can die through lack of an attempt to achieve its fulfillment. That's why you should act immediately on a good decision. Decisions without actions are worthless. Just think of the gardening metaphor. Deciding that plants need water is a good decision, yet it has no value to the plant if the action required is not carried out.

Donna Amos, Solopreneurs Solutions, LLC is the president of the International Association of Solopreneurs.

As I stepped back after previewing the cleaning job that lies ahead, I realized that the closet holds a close similarity to the way my mind has been feeling lately. Cluttered and disorganized. I've recently begun a very exciting opportunity hosting my own show on Toginet radio, along with marketing my next coaching group, developing an affiliate program, and several other time-consuming projects. The ideas have been flowing — and so has the work - so my brain has been on overdrive. Whew! It's time to de-clutter the closet and the mind!

It was fun to recognize that my messy closet represented something far more important than dirty laundry. Also, very interesting to realize how my outer world struck such a similarity to my state of mind. The closet is an easy, rather mindless project to tackle, but how to iron out the fabric of many creative processes moving about in my mind? With new projects and opportunities, balancing routine business and responsibilities, along with the personal life, can become overwhelming. If we don't take the time to organize our thoughts, projects, and time, life can become one big messy closet!

Today's awareness helped me realize that, while I have my projects well organized, I haven't been following my regular practice of mind mapping and list making to allow my mind to release the big picture ideas associated with each of the projects. If we allow our thoughts, ideas, and challenges to pile up in our minds it leads to a sense of overwhelm and frustration. My closet reminded me that I may be well on my way to experiencing those burdensome emotions. So, I will declutter my mind today as well!

Here are a few ways I do that. I'd like to hear how you release your creative thoughts, ideas, and challenges so that your brain can function freely and keep your life in balance!
List making — I have a "master to-do" list and I update it daily. My projects and routine tasks are broken into categories with a list of action steps following each one. The more urgent steps are highlighted in red. I carry this list with me everywhere I go!

Mindmapping — This can be done on your computer or on paper. I like to connect my free-flowing ideas on an oversized piece of paper. Seeing how they connect to one another and feed off of one-another is stimulating and productive. I begin with my main focus written in the middle of the paper and surround it with ideas and steps, drawing lines to connect the related items. I love doing this because it incorporates right brain and left brain thinking so well.
Sticky Note Idea Building — This is another good brainstorming activity. I like to write my ideas on sticky notes and put them on a big empty wall. I then move the notes around to see how they relate to and feed into one another. As I work through the process, some get discarded, and new thoughts continue to flow.

Journaling — Stream of consciousness writing (writing without editing your thoughts) is a great way to expand on an idea or work through a challenge. Just allow whatever comes into your mind to flow freely through your hands onto paper or a computer document. You may be amazed at the solutions and ideas born of this exercise.

Brainstorming Sessions — When many ideas are floating about our brain expressing them verbally often solidifies the idea, bringing it to life. It's also a great way to get grounded. Sometimes we may think we have a very achievable concept and our friends and peers can help us recognize the challenges and complications. The opposite is true as well. We may not be able to step back far enough when we are excited about an idea and expanding upon it may be difficult. Brainstorming is a wonderful way to achieve this.

Organization Charts — I like to organize my ideas and projects by category. It really helps me to stay focused on the things that will fit into my big picture vision and mission. The to-do list is one way of doing this, but I like to draw charts on my oversized paper (or you could use a white board). I create a piece of paper for each aspect of my business and put all of the pending projects on the appropriate page. I tack these onto a wall and take a step back to see how they all connect. As I study the picture I sometimes notice discrepancies or areas that I'm creating redundancies. This has saved me many a headache!

It looks like I have a busy, but fun day ahead. I know there are more ideas and solutions out there — let's hear them!
Tuesday updates: Yes, the closet has been restored to its organized state and my state of mind is also much improved! Ah, the comfort of an allowing, peaceful state of mind....

As a rather enterprising youth, Sanjay was asked to leave high school after selling the school to Pepsi without the consent of the principal. What? That's right! That may have been the end of Sanjay's negotiations with Pepsi, but it didn't put the brakes on Sanjay's enterprising spirit. He soon fell into representing children's books and, since he'd already produced a national television show for CBC Television at the age of 16, he applied his knowledge to produce the Cannes Award-winning, Spider.

Q. Sanjay, it's clear that your creative mind has been working full time since a very young age. Sometimes such ingenuity can create chaos in the life of a young person — not to mention his or her parents - tell us about when it all started!

A. Life throws us many curve balls. We don't always see them as kids, and don't have to since our parents protect us. But then some of us get that major curve ball that changes our direction, focus and passions forever. This was what happened to me in Grade 3.
We had just moved from a small town in to the big city. I was behind in school, and realized if you were sick, got to sleep in the nurse's office! What a concept! So every Friday like clockwork, a new disease, illness or un-researched virus would strike me. Off to the nurse's office I would go and sleep for the afternoon. What I didn't realize was that my principal, Mr. Fleming, was watching and one day called me into his office, along with my parents! He told my parents that I was a born actor and made a call to the local college for me to attend a summer acting program. This changed everything.

From there, I ended up carving my own path without knowledge of where I was going or what I was doing. I went on faith. I believe that something that lacks in most people today is faith in themselves. We listen to the media and the remarks of others, and in turn, question ourselves and our path. From selling my high school to Pepsi without getting permission first (obviously something I wouldn't suggest) to producing an Oscar nominated movie by the age of 24, I had my failures, successes, mistakes and lessons.

Q. It sounds like you've had more than one curve ball Sanjay! How did you survive them and what does an entrepreneur really need to continue to survive these unexpected turns?

A. Entrepreneurs need two things to survive and become successful; passion and persistence. That's it! It's not about talent, money, contacts or luck. Those like Gates, Dell, and Turner have all pursued their dreams because it was what they loved to do and persisted through adversity and other people's doubts. The idea of not being successful never crossed their minds. It wasn't about IF, it was about WHEN. This is something that is hard to remember when you are in the midst of walking the long dark tunnel; it is those who have faith in themselves that know there is a light just around the corner. David Foster, the famous songwriter said 'I have written 1000 songs. 100 were hits, which means I had 900 failures'. He never quit or second guessed himself. Like Babe Ruth, the hits made up for the misses by a long shot!

Q. Sanjay, do you believe that we're not only influenced by our own belief system, but by those who surround us as well?

A. Yes! The other very important rule for a self-starter is to understand who you are and who you associate with. When I was entering high school, I was full of vim and vigor. I had written scripts, done plays, and read various books on working in Hollywood. Instead of focusing on my bigger goals, I started to socialize with the 'cool' kids who were very unhappy and destructive to themselves, and as I found out later, to me too. They were constantly dismissing my dreams, even going as far as to make fun of them. Without realizing it, I started to lose focus and lose sight of my vision for myself. By the end of the first year in high school, I was happy with just getting a job!

The people around you will define who you are to yourself. Winners are always with winners. You don't have to be successful or achieved a huge milestone; you have to be tenacious and want to learn. The most successful people I know, love being inspired and motivated. They like high energy, ambitious goal-setting and proper intention. It's those qualities that will allow successful people to come into your life.

Q. So we can attract what I like to call "like-minded" individuals into our lives, and that is important. But once you're on that roller coaster to success, self-sabotaging behavior sometimes creeps in. How can that affect us and how do we keep it in check?

A. That's right. Another common mistake is allowing ego and illusions to creep in. The downfall of every major historical figure can be traced to ego. Ego can be camouflaged as many other emotions and therefore hard to control or even spot! The smartest people I know are those who have left their egos aside and focused on the long term picture. Does it really kill you to say 'sorry' or give in once in a while? Actually, not only do you get close to your goals, but also earn the respect of others in doing so.

The illusions I refer to, are those that are in self sabotage cycles. They think they want more, they think they have high aspirations, but in fact have a hidden need to fail. This occurs for people who think they will end up looking foolish if they do succeed, or they will be laughed at if they try and fail, or if they have a bad interpretation about success. For instance 'rich people are liars and selfish.' These types of thoughts are very common. The trick is to stay focused on just the end result for yourself, and not the consequences of winning or losing.

Earn respect, don't expect respect! 'You don't respect me' says Tony Soprano to his Capo. Of course not! Tony lies, cheats and steals, why on earth would anyone respect him? Respect only comes when you respect yourself and treat others the same way. One of our executives says 'I only respect those who respect me'. If this is your thought as well, then I advise you to read the paragraph above about ego.

Christina Aguilera was asked what she would be doing right now if she wasn't a star. Her response was 'I would be working to be a star'. If your answer would be anything other than that, then re-evaluate why you are not passionate about what you are doing, why you are holding yourself back and why you are in a vicious cycle that will only result in your losing out. Your time is now, not tomorrow. The world will be a better place if you contribute your vision to it. We are eager to see it, so what are you waiting for?

Years ago, John Giordano reluctantly walked over the threshold of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center after an intervention by friends and family. Today he is the author of "Proven Holistic Treatment For Addiction & Chronic Relapse," and the founder president and of the prestigious G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center in North Miami Beach, Florida.

John's journey prior to rehab lead to the loss of a successful business, luxurious lifestyle, and most significantly, his wife, children and many friends. Today, John's life is committed to helping others conquer addiction and rebuild a life that has been lost.

Q. John, in spite of being in recovery from a crippling addiction, you persevered and started another business. What internal and external resources did you most rely on to find the strength and courage to do this?

A. My life has been blessed. I knew exactly what I wanted to do in life the day I walked into a dojo. I was fourteen at the time and I've been involved in Karate ever since. I've applied the lessons learned over the years to every aspect of my life — in both thick and thin times. I've found that what you think about, you bring about.

The first principle I live by is that you have to believe in yourself, because if you don't, no one else will. The next step is commitment. You have to be completely dedicated to whatever it is you chose to do -- no matter what. In Karate you learn to visualize — see yourself connecting with a kick or punch before you throw it. In life, you have to see yourself being a success before you do it. And finally be passionate about what you do. Your passion will not only fuel you, but also others nearby.

My greatest external resource comes from the people surrounding me. My immediate family has always believed in me and been supportive of my pursuits. Additionally, I associate with people whose philosophies and direction mirror mine. There is no substitute for a positive and reaching outlook on life.

Q. The desire to help others is a strong driver for many entrepreneurs. What do you believe that reaching out to assist others satisfies in us?

A. It is simply our nature, it's in our DNA. Everyone has a need to help others, but it's stronger in some. Speaking for myself, I've learned so much that has improved my quality of life from so many, that I feel compelled to share what I've learned so that the people around me can improve their lives. Yet we have staff members who are motivated by something completely different. What we have in common is that we all believe we are contributing to a better world, a better society. Regardless of what inspires us, there is no greater reward that we share as individuals or a group than watching our clients succeed. It just makes you feel good about yourself and what you are doing.

Q. Many solopreneur practitioners who are in the helping field struggle with charging for their services. Do you have insights that may help rectify that?

A. The mind is a strange thing at times. I had the same problem before I went into rehab. Here I was a world champion and my self-esteem was so low that I could hardly bear to charge my students for their Karate lessons. Rehab did wonders for my low self-esteem, but I also learned another important and valuable lesson. If you don't take care of yourself, if you don't charge enough, you're actually hurting more people than you're helping. I've seen more people than I care to count, who were capable and very good at helping others, move into a different field because they could not live on what they charged. It's sad when you consider how many people they could have helped if they just charged everyone a little bit more and stayed in the people helping business.

Q. Like so many determined entrepreneurs you started your business on a shoestring. Financing is one of the most difficult barriers experienced by business owners. What advice do you have for others who are facing the financial crunch, especially in today's economy?

A. Banks are just not lending right now so you have to look to the private sector. I got started with $300.00 dollars to my name and struggled for quite a while. Keep in mind I was involved with holistic addiction treatment which at the time was a blessing and a curse. It gave me a unique distinction above my competition, but at the same time not too many people understood what holistic was. This made it difficult to raise capital through conventional channels. At the same time I was wearing all the hats of a solopreneur — thus taking precious time away from what I do best, helping people. With all of this considered, I decided to bring in two investing/working partners: Jerry Goldfarb and Gerald Goldfarb. They handled the administrative and marketing aspect of the business freeing me up to do what I love the most, the clinical side. From that day forward G & G Holistic Addiction Treatment Center skyrocketed. As we grew exponentially everyone wanted to jump onboard and lend us money we no longer needed.

From my experiences and those of my friends, there comes a point in time in every solopreneurial business where you either raise capital and hire people; or take on an investor/working partner. I chose the latter so that I could do what I do best and find the most rewarding. Fortunately, it worked. If this option is not appealing to you, then you may want to consider private sector investors - they are always looking for a solid business to park their money. The best way to attract them would be with a good reputation, a proven track record and a real plan for future growth. If you're not able to attract one investor, try breaking-up your financial needs into smaller bites and take on several investors. Do keep in mind that a partnership is like a marriage — you have to have common goals!

Guilt, like other negative emotions, has a way of lowering one's energy so I knew I had to do something about this idea; either let it go or take action. As I reviewed my 2010 "What Am I Going to Change" list I decided to put the internet radio show idea onto my vision board and let the Universe take care of it. I know, that may sound like inaction, but for me it's a way of creating action.

Well, it didn't take long. Weeks later, as a result of being a guest on Toginet's Paying It Forward with Josephine Geraci, I was invited to create my own show for this successful radio network! Josephine and I had so much fun on her wonderful show that they wanted to do a spin-off on our conversation. Thank you vision board and thank you Josephine!

Since then, I've put out some queries for individuals who have achieved amazing things in life and credit positive thought, law of attraction, and other metaphysical/spiritual practices for their success. Wow! What heart-warming, inspirational stories are out there! But what I love most is how these people are, as Josephine says, paying it forward, by inspiring and teaching others to achieve success, wellness, and happiness as well.

So, I'd like to share with you that "The Million Dollar Mindset" will launch on Toginet next Monday, January 18 at 1pm CT, 2pm ET. Together with my guests I will share insights, tips and stories about unlocking the secrets to creating business success and a happier, more balanced life through abundant thinking and attraction power. This is an extension of this blog space, which I love! I hope you will join me there as well.

What wonderful changes will you attract into your life in 2010? Create forward momentum by sharing them here. Who knows? You may be my next guest on "The Million Dollar Mindset"!

NOTE: If you or someone you know has an inspiring story or mission to share please send their information to me at Marla@MarlaTabaka.com!

I created a "What Am I Going to Change" list. I figured there's a reason I'm not achieving all of my goals and I set out to figure out why. With that said, remember that I am a total believer in manifesting ones dreams and desires, so I like lofty goals. BUT, if you have internal blocks and strongly resist your goals they will probably never become a fait accompli.

I started my new process with a tough one. Last year, one of my goal statements was, "I will go to the gym 4 times a week." Ouch! Just thinking about it hurts — that one never happened. This year I asked "what do I need to change about myself in order to introduce more exercise into my life?" This opened the door to exploration and open, honest communication between my left, logical brain and right, creative brain. You see, the logical side automatically goes to the most direct and logical solution: Go to the gym! But the softer, more creative side loves to explore all of the possibilities. After writing, thinking, and a bit of talking to myself, do you know what I did? I quit the gym! That's right, au revoir, hasta la vista, adios to my dear friend, the gym.

I discovered that I don't need to change anything about myself except my thinking. The truth is that I really do enjoy some forms of exercise and in order to introduce more of it into my life I need to look forward to it. Reframing from a goal to a question about change helped me to look the problem right in the eye and find a solution. Problem: I simply don't like going to the gym. Awareness: Exercising is fun if it's something I enjoy and that's convenient. Going to the gym takes hours out of my day, to fit it in I have to replace my morning routine at the coffeehouse, which is productive and enjoyable. And at the gym I'm surrounded by a 100 bodies that are in far better shape than my own! Why would anyone want to torture themselves like that? So I asked myself the next question: "How can I increase my exercise in a way that I really enjoy and look forward to?"

Solution: Yoga, my Nordic Track and free weights, and more walks in the woods with my dogs. I love walking in the woods. It's more like a reward than exercise. I love yoga too, so I asked Santa for a yoga DVD for Christmas. And the Nordic Track is convenient and I can blast my music and sing at the top of my lungs if I want to. Yay! I really like this plan! And, it's working. OK, I know, it's only been a week, but I'm optimistic. Most importantly, I feel a weight off my shoulders because my "Ten Most Wanted List" isn't a "Ten Most Dreaded List" anymore. It's filled with fun, uplifting activities that will change my life in some very significant ways.

Do you want or need support in achieving your dreams and goals? Join my affordable group coaching program! The next group begins in February. Check it out!

So what will you change? How can you reframe your goals and turn them into something that excites you and will not lead to disappointment in a year from now? Please share!

And rightfully so. Whether we're out to purchase a new website, a new filling for an aching tooth, or an e-book to fill us in on the latest facts about global warming, we want to make our purchase with full confidence that our money is well spent and our needs are met. If you use valuable space on your marketing material to tell your prospects how fabulous you are, they will leave your website or toss your brochure aside without feeling fulfilled, inspired to buy, or truly informed.

Take a look at your primary marketing materials. Do they tout your greatness or do they identify with your prospect's problems? Does your marketing message show a strong understanding of your prospect's needs and concerns? Does your content speak to them in a language they will understand, or does it seek to impress with the use of highly sophisticated jargon? The latter will most likely lead to a feeling of overwhelm and frustration for your website visitor and may even intimidate them, prompting them to move on in search of a more comfortable match.

Let's take a look at some examples. These are all quotes from websites found by a Google search of my geographic area.

If you were looking for a therapist to help you through a difficult time, would you opt for therapist A or B?

a."We offer a variety of psychotherapy services and evaluation and management, based on your needs."
b."Are you experiencing an emotional block, a difficult time in life, or feelings of sadness or overwhelm? We can help."

If you were looking for a someone to build a website would you choose company A or company B?

a."A total solution website development and internet marketing firm and leaders in the industry. From basic websites to high caliber, image driven, custom e-commerce and database tools."
b."Expand your income! With an ABC website design there is no limit to your success. We make it easy for your prospects to find you!"

How about a chiropractor to help your body deal with stress? A or B?

a."We are experts in the removal of nerve interference caused by spinal misalignment."
b."Is your life stressing you out right now? Chiropractic care and massage therapy will help you build a healthier, happier you. Learn more!"

Well, you get the picture. I think most of us would choose example B in all of the above. They all seem to understand that it's all about me, the consumer. Here are some basic tips to to use if you feel the need to revise your marketing content.

'How many times do you count the words I or we in your marketing content? Try converting them to sentences that include the word you instead.
'Use bullet points and questions, fewer words, and try to step into your customer's shoes when you write your content.
'Pretend you know very little about your industry and write your content from a point of view that offers a solution to a problem or a need. Be as specific as possible.
'Ask friends and colleagues who are not in your field of expertise if your new content speaks to them and entices them to want to learn more.
'And of course, don't forget the very important call to action. Invite your prospects in with a free report, a complimentary consultation, or a video download.
'Be user-friendly and let your prospect know that you understand their needs and that it really is all about them!

It's a good time of the year to think about who those people are for you. A time to send thanks to these individuals, be they dead or alive, and recognize the ways that they have inspired you. I've been thinking about it since Thanksgiving, when my sister paid me a visit, so I'd like to articulate those thoughts.

Sure, I'm inspired by Henry Ford, Jack Welch, and many other amazing leaders of our time. But my sister Janine? Now she's a true inspiration. Janine's personality and spirit is a simple reminder of how we tend to needlessly complicate our lives with worry and fear. You see, Janine doesn't worry much, and there's not much that frightens her either. Janine has Down syndrome and life for her seems to be nearly perfect in every way. She keeps it simple and uncomplicated. And she enjoys every minute of it.

Years ago, when my husband passed away, Janine was the one who knew exactly what to say. Janine was the one who made me laugh amidst my tears. As my children were growing up, Janine was there to remind me of what a great job I was doing as a single mom. She would point out only their most wonderful qualities and loved my girls unconditionally. Janine has a memory like a steel trap and you can count on her to light up the room with tales of the past, long ago forgotten by most. She can bring tears to my eyes and make me laugh - all within seconds. Janine has the wonderful ability to walk into any room and instantly engage in conversation, even among strangers. On this most recent visit I consistently tried - and failed - to put Janine's leg brace on her, but it just wouldn't stay in place. Instead of expressing frustration, Janine consistently reminded me that I was doing my best and that I "did a good job" of trying. She walked the malls without her leg brace and never once uttered a word of complaint. Her words and actions reminded me that the guilt I was feeling was MY choice, certainly not placed there by any of Janine's expectations, but by my own. I was able to let it go and enjoy that precious time with my kid sister.

Janine shares an apartment with Diane, her roommate of 20 years. The two are inseparable and in spite of spending day in, day out together for years you will never hear Janine utter a single negative comment about her dear friend. They protect and watch out for one another in a way that is precious beyond words. They have a schedule and routine that would make a type-A organizational freak sigh in envy — and they stick to it! Janine will not miss a day of work or put off doing the laundry, but she always makes time for friends and fun.

In Janine's world, there are few problems. Imagine that. Going through life with what most of us would consider a handicap and enjoying life like many of us don't. Yes, Janine is a true inspiration and I would like to thank her from the bottom of my heart for being there for me — always.

Take a moment if you will, and share with us your story of inspiration. Sharing verbal recognition and thanks raises your energy and lifts your spirit. Give it a try! And thank you for listening to my story!

I'd like to end this post with a very appropriate quote:

Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago? Didn't you waste a lot of fruitless energy on account of most of them? Didn't most of them turn out all right after all?
-Dale Carnegie

Allow me introduce you to Annette. (Although I have permission to share this story, names have been changed to protect the successful!) Annette came into coaching as the owner of a very successful company, but with the knowing that both she and her company held so much more potential. She is a deeply spiritual woman, with greater than average intellect — and a PhD - yet felt lost and confused about what she was meant to achieve in her life and business. Annette's goal was to break the million-dollar mark after being stagnant at $350,000 (gross) for more than 7 years. With already high operating costs escalating, Annette was fearful that her company could not move forward.

Annette's company was most definitely a replicable model but she wasn't replicating! After spending time with her evaluating her company's infrastructure and her marketing goals, I asked a question that led to quite a revealing path. "Annette," I said, "you've got a great business model here, but why do you serve only one division of one large company?" I felt that Annette had all of her eggs in one basket, but figured there was a very good reason. The answer that Annette shared was that she really didn't give much thought to expanding to other divisions because it felt overwhelming to her and she wasn't sure how she could achieve it. Clearly, Annette's business was in need of a growth strategy that she could embrace. It was time to get to work!

As we worked on Annette's growth strategy the pieces began to fall into place — yet Annette wasn't taking the steps to implement them. "Hummm, I know what's going on here," I thought. Annette was afraid of something — we just needed to find out what and push through it! Annette didn't know that she was afraid of something yet, but I was confident that soon we'd figure it out and push toward that next milestone.

So, I simply asked (and you might ask yourself this same type of question — just for fun.) "Annette, what would happen if you expanded upon your business model and began serving 20 or more clients?" The exchange went something like this:

"Well, I'd be rich!" she replied.
"Rich is awesome!" I said. "What else?"

"I'd be able to hire other people to do all of this work." Annette replied eagerly.
"I like the sound of that," I said, "is there more?"

"Well, I guess I'd have to do something else with my time." (Now we're getting there.)
"What else would you do Annette?" I asked.

"Something that's very important to me, yet I don't do it. I wonder why?" Annette replied. (Now Annette was asking herself some questions, that's good.)
"What's that Annette?" I prompted.

"I would like to inspire other female business owners so they know that they can achieve their own dreams." Annette said in a passionate tone.

"Wow Annette! That's amazing. It's a wonderful dream, and it would have an incredible impact on so many entrepreneurs!"
Then I asked, "What would you have to do to reach all of these women?"

Now, we hit our big stumbling block, the massive wall on the other side of Annette's comfort zone. It was clear in Annette's tonality, when she replied, "I would have to speak to them, perhaps in a large audience or even on the phone."

Long pause and then she added, "I really don't have anything important enough to share. I don't know if they'd want to hear what I have to say." Said Annette in a quiet voice.

Me: "Annette, have you ever heard a successful female business owner speak at a conference or seminar? Have you ever left a room feeling inspired by the words of another female entrepreneur?

"Of course!" she said, "All of the time. But this would be different; it would just be me speaking."

Well, you know where we went from there. As we continued coaching Annette learned to embrace the value of all that she had to share and to get past her fear of public speaking. Today, about 2 years later, Annette has broken the 8-million dollar mark! She stays in touch and remains in a humble place; yet she's reaching out to countless female entrepreneurs in a way that only Annette could. She has achieved not one, but several of her life-long dreams — much to the benefit of others.

Do you feel a fear related to achieving higher levels of success? Simply ask yourself, "what if" and listen for a response that doesn't feel so good. Your discovery may open the path for you as it did for Annette.

So, how can you build the business of your dreams and satisfy that all-important thirst for freedom? Timing, planning, and a realistic view of your financial resources; these are the most important pieces. So, if you think you're ready to leave your job, or want to know when the time is right, use this checklist as your guide.

1.Do your research and create a plan? How have you tested your prospective business model? How do you know that you have a viable product or service? Do some market research. Research your competitors; how long have they been around? What makes them successful? What will you do differently and better? What makes your business special? I know that YOU make it special, but not everyone knows you. How will you stand apart from the rest? Test your model with a panel of friends, peers, and total strangers. It's best to ask a third party to be responsible for this focus group testing so that people will provide honest feedback; your friends will most likely tell you what you want to hear. Research the cost and effectiveness of marketing and advertising venues as well. How will you market and grow your business? The "Build it and They Shall Come" belief-system is great if you're a true believer in Law of Attraction, but I like to say that the Law of Attraction is nothing without action. What is the big picture action plan?
2.Do a Breakeven Analysis: If you don't know how, go to your S.C.O.R.E. office and get help. It's critical to have this guideline to know how long your financial resources will last and what your targets are in terms of client base, sales and numbers.
3.Money, Money, Money: Have enough of it to fund your marketing plan, your business needs, and to live on for AT LEAST one year-but preferably three years. Even though we all like to believe that our business will be the exception, under-capitalized businesses almost always fail. Depending on the business model, you may not achieve your breakeven point for 2-3 years.
4.Are You an Entrepreneur or a Technician? Depending on your financial situation, it may be important to perform much of the nuts and bolts work yourself. But remember, you must know how to market your business AND implement your plans for growth. You can't do these things if you're behind the desk all day providing a service and updating your website. Get contractors in place even if money is tight — invest in your business. Hire someone to do the books and a virtual assistant to do administrative work. Your investment will come back to you ten-fold if you spend that time marketing, strategizing and growing as an entrepreneur and a business.
5.Build in a Budget for a Babysitter: If you have small children you may fantasize about being available to them 24/7 when you begin to work from home. Think about what's best for them, you, and your business. It's critical to have a steady schedule of uninterrupted time to grow and maintain your business. Sit down as a family and decide what's best for all of you. Will your kids will be happier playing with a babysitter or going to pre-school and spending QUALITY time with you after your working hours? Sure, schedule time to do the fun stuff and enjoy the flexibility of working from home, but give your business the attention it deserves as well.

There's more, much more to do to build a solid foundation for your new business, but the 5-points above are a good start. When you have these things in place, and a good business model is ready to go, you may be ready to say good-bye to the 8-5 commitment. Just remember, building your business may be more than an 8-5 commitment. If you do it right, you'll work fewer and fewer hours as time goes by and that's worth working toward. It's a wonderful experience and a dream come true. First it needs roots and a foundation and then you and it will flourish!

A few months ago I wrote a post about my "system" for implementing or filing ideas. Today, I thought we'd chat about the danger of holding on to all of your ideas and how that could negatively impact you and your business.

I'd like to point out that if you are in business for yourself, odds are your wheels are constantly spinning. And you most likely attract people who are much the same. It's probably not uncommon for you and your friends or peers to get lost in the excitement of a new venture. That's just who you are; that's the creative mind of an entrepreneur. However, no matter how excited you may feel in the moment, the majority of these ideas probably never come to fruition. How do you feel about that?

Here's a common scenario: Creative Mind A meets Creative Mind B. Together they come up with a great, money-making concept or an idea to launch their current businesses to new levels. It suits their values and skill sets beautifully and it just needs a little work. They promise to "make it happen" and well - it fizzles. The most disturbing piece is that it doesn't feel good to let these ideas slip through your fingers and it may feel like you're letting yourself, and possibly others, down. You might experience guilt, a sense of lowered self-worth, or an added pressure as your task list grows out of control. All of this excessive energy has a negative impact on your body, mind, relationships, and your business. So how can you continue to enjoy expressing your creative self and keep the negative fall-out at bay?

First remember that it's important to prioritize. Otherwise, none of your concepts will take shape. Make sure that the critical pieces of your current business model are in place before launching into another project. Be careful of the commitments you make, or solicit from others, when you're in one of your impromptu brainstorming sessions. Making commitments and not following through can cause us to feel bad about ourselves — or others.

After masterminding a "great idea" I like to take a "cooling off" period. Sure, these ideas may sound brilliant and simple in the moment, but within 24 hours or so I begin to recognize the challenges. Some are worth tackling, others simply aren't.

Watch your commitments. Prior to making a commitment toward the next steps you might take a look at your calendar and to-do list. Identify the next steps and schedule them into your calendar — don't over promise! You might even try something like, "I love this idea and I want to be fair to everyone involved. So, let's think about it and talk on Wednesday."

Communicate. If you realize that you don't have the time, energy, or finances to follow through on your next steps, or you need to postpone taking action, it's important to communicate to yourself and/or the other party (if there is one) that you are "filing" this concept for now. Feeling like you've let yourself and others down is a big emotional drain. This realistic approach may be disappointing for a while, but in the end it relieves you of the burden of guilt or embarrassment. If there is another party involved and they are not communicating with you try to let go of any resentment or ill feelings. These negative feelings are also a huge energy drain. You cannot control anyone else, only your reaction to them.

Most importantly, not all of your ideas need to go to the wayside. Take the time to evaluate and explore the real gems. If it's an idea worth pursuing, your wonderful, creative mind will find a way!

Let's begin with your logo. Not everyone is an artist and certainly not everyone has sophisticated software like Adobe Illustrator. Yet, we no longer have to use clip art to create what is the foundation of our company's branding. There are so many talented artists available who would jump at the chance to create your logo. Take a look at elance.com; it's simple to use and you can preview any artist's work prior to inviting them to bid on your job. I found my talented artist at a local print shop. Kelli created a logo that I absolutely love for only $60!

Now that you have the perfect logo, let's take a look at your website. If you have a site that's more than a few years old, odds are you haven't hopped on the web 2.0 bandwagon. Do you have the ability to update your own content? Do you have a mailing list for people to join? Are you watching your traffic stats? If not, it may be time for a WordPress site. WordPress is amazing, for a myriad of reasons that I won't even go into because you can easily find all of that information on the web. The main thing is that it's highly optimized, making it easier for search engines to find you. You can also update your own content and images with ease; a very important function, especially for SEO purposes. Don't be at the mercy of a web developer to update your content, it's costly and time consuming.

But how do you create the site without paying the big bucks? Here's my absolutely favorite find of 2009. Artisteer is an easy-to-use program that allows you to create customized templates for WordPress sites. If you can use Office 2007, you can use Artisteer. And the basic program is only $50! Simply drop in your logo, a few relative images, choose your layout, colors, etc. and voila! You have a WordPress template that no one else has! Register your domain name and find affordable hosting and off you go. Can you say empowered solopreneur?

Make sure that your email address reflects your domain name (marysmith@yourcompany.com). It's simple, and seamless to the public, to redirect your professional email address to your webmail host (yahoo, aol, etcetera). If you choose to do this you won't have to check multiple in boxes. Remember, the name of the game is branding. If you're walking around with marysmith@yahoo.com on your card, it lacks professionalism and isn't at all memorable.

Now the business cards. If you are on a very modest budget, it's fine to design your card on a site like VistaPrint or Bizcard (or a myriad of sites like them). But do 2 things differently than you might have done in the past. Pay the $10 or so for the upgraded paper (make sure you opt for a custom or blank backside), and design your own layout rather than using a template. It doesn't feel good to exchange business cards with someone who has the exact same design! Be uniquely you, just like your product or services. Keep it simple; it's OK to upload your new logo and add your information without a lot of hoopla. If you like, you can even add bullet points on the back of the card to highlight your services or product. When you have a few extra dollars in your marketing budget you can hire your graphic designer to create your business card layout but you may be surprised at how well your cards can turn out when you stick to the basics.

Finally, the phone. Do you miss calls when you leave your home office? Does call waiting interrupt the flow of your conversations? Check out Google number for a simple, FREE solution. Your number "follows you, not your phone."

Go into the New Year with a new company image. It will take a little work, but it will boost your prospect's confidence in you and help them to find you more easily. No more apologies for the homemade business cards, the outdated website, or the missed phone calls!
Do you have some great, low cost resources you'd like to share? Please do! Send them to me or post a comment here on The Solopreneur's Million Dollar Mindset!

That's a question I ask all of my new clients and I love the myriad of responses. It would be interesting to add a second question: "On a scale of 1-10 how difficult do you believe it will be to achieve your definition of success?" I don't think the answers would be quite as diverse. I believe that many, if not most, entrepreneurs would say that becoming successful is very stressful and means working around the clock. But is that true, or is it simply our perception?

A smart business model is designed to be scalable and doesn't depend solely on the business owner's contribution. Yet many entrepreneurs hold on to every small task and every big worry as though no one else in this world is capable of following through on a job or turning a worrisome event into a successful outcome. It's almost as though they believe that running a successful business must be unpleasant and that the heavy burden is theirs alone to bear.

That does not have to be the case. Even solopreneurs don't have to work on a solo basis. I've written about advisory boards, virtual assistants, coaching, and more in past blog posts; there are resources for everyone. No one has to go it alone. One of my favorite Henry Ford quotes is, "If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." With a solid business model in place, success is attainable and letting go of any negative beliefs around success will get you there more quickly.

My observation is that people who truly believe that achieving success and living in comfort comes from a constant stream of stress, worry, and deprivation often experience just that; an uncomfortable existence including great financial stress and worry. Think about your stress. It's very real, I know. The question is: are you allowing your stress to hold you down or propel you forward? Another wonderful Henry Ford quote: "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."

Take a few moments and think about your definition of success and your feelings about achieving it. Are you prepared for a smooth take off or experiencing mechanical difficulties?

Yet, for many solopreneurs the word "solo" translates to loneliness, living with the burden of decision-making, uncertainty, and often sleepless nights. Well, I believe that anyone is capable of changing a negative scenario into a brighter picture. It takes a little self-prodding to get outside of your current comfort zone so make sure to ask for support and maybe some accountability from someone. That may be a spouse, friend, peer, or a coach — there are a lot of resources out there. Here are some ideas that will help!

1.Join networking and social groups. A weekly meeting offers camaraderie, resources, and a boost to your professionalism.
2.Spend some time working outside of your home: a local coffeehouse, library, park, or at the home of another solopreneur.
3.Get help with the kids: Don't try to be the full time childcare provider AND run a full time business. You are setting yourself up to fail. Either accept that your business is a part time operation (for now) or arrange for child care for some part of the week. You AND your children will be much happier.
4.Create an Advisory Board: It doesn't matter that your business is small, you will still benefit from the well-rounded expertise of an Advisory Board. Choose 3-7 people who are experts in marketing, sales, product development, etc. and consult with them as a group on a quarterly basis.
5.Build a social network: While it's almost too easy to get lost on Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn and other such sites, they are valuable tools in building your network and creating friendships. Occasionally touching base in the virtual world helps ward off that lonely feeling AND will help you to grow your business.
6.Create balance! If you're taking care of the kids by day and working by night, there's no time for relationships and socialization. Get out one night (or day) a week. Call a friend or have a date night with your significant other. Make sure to create conversations around things other than business and kids. When you talk about things like hobbies, vacations, and other interests, it will bring a sense of "togetherness" and ward off that feeling of isolation.
7.Always dress for work: Working in your PJ's may seem novel at first, but can escalate those feelings of "aloneness."
8.Take regular breaks and GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! I take myself for a power-walk or a nice lunch (even a picnic) at least 3 times a week. You'll be amazed by the energizing effect of this outing.
9.Find other solopreneurs and brainstorm with them. I have several friends who also own their own business and our conversations raise our energy levels and renew the passion.
10.Get Coached: Of course, I always recommend coaching as well. When I started my first business I hired a business coach. It not only took some of the pressure off, it confirmed my choices, affirmed my purpose, and eventually led to an amazing career!

We can learn so much about change from nature — especially trees. While we seem to resist change, standing firmly rooted in our comfort zone, trees embrace each season of change with such beauty and grace. As they grow older, trees become more grounded and deeply rooted in their community. They grow taller and stronger and absorb everything that goes on around them without allowing it to effect their health or their purpose. They take on a silent wisdom in all that they've witnessed and share that wisdom only with those who look deeply enough in their own curiosity. I think the most amazing thing about trees is that they contribute so much to our well-being, even after their time is past and they take on another form to support our needs. I only wish that all trees were allowed to live a full life before contributing to our society in a different form, but there's much to learn there as well. Trees never resist change.

Change. How do you adapt to it? How do you support others through change? Many people resist change, even if there is a promise of growth and opportunity within it. Here are a few tips on handling change. Do you have anything to add?

- If the change you are facing includes a true loss, make sure to take time to grieve. Acknowledge the loss and think about how the current situation has helped you to grow. Accept that you must grieve and that grieving is a process with much hope on the other side of it.

- If the change feels threatening in some way, take your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper. If you stay in your head you may create chaos and fear because your right brained fight or flight instinct kicks in. Organize your thoughts on paper so that your logical left brain can take over and minimize the fear. You might try journaling your thoughts, then making a list of the positive pieces of the situation. Take it from someone who's experienced much change, both tragic and wonderful; there is hope and beauty in all change if we allow it.

- For smaller change (like the last of the color on the trees) move your mind to the hopeful side of what's next. Just as I did this morning as I thought about the crystallized branches, you can find a touch of the positive in just about anything.

- To help others through change you might ask them leading questions like, "what's the potential for something good to come out of this?" and "What's the upside of the situation?" It's best to ask questions rather than make your own suggestions because it forces the person out of their negative space and allows them to own the more positive viewpoint as they come up with the answers.

- Take it one step at a time. Remember that most often the moment you're in is the same as the last. With most change, nothing occurs until you've taken action, which means that nothing has happened yet and there's no need to panic or feel upset about the change. Live in the moment, taking one step at a time. The first step is to logically process the perceived change.

- Lastly, recognize that change forces us out of our comfort zone — and that's usually a very good thing. If you wish for growth to occur it's typically not going to happen within your current space. Something has to change. So, if you want your company to make more money for instance, but things remain at a standstill, what can you do to promote change within yourself and try something new? Sometimes change forces us, but remember that we can also force change — and that's very empowering!