You rock!

Don’t believe me? Well, I believe in you—and I know you kick butt!

It can be tough to get all in touch with your inner Beyoncé (or T-Swizz or whatever celeb-with-confidence floats your boat).

We’ve all heard girls “should be” humble. Women “should be” softer, quieter, less confident, less bold. Then as moms, wives and girlfriends, we’re often trying to put others’ needs before our own, juggle stuff (as we aim for rhythm, not that awful word “balance”), and do it ALL.

It’s easy to forget how much we rock.

Plus, when you think about walkin’ around as a strong, confident woman, you may worry you’ll come off as a witch with a capitol “B” or like a cold, tough Devil Wears Prada type. (You won’t.)

So, stop worrying—it’s time to put on your big girl panties (or your cutest non-nude bra) and go for it! Strong and confident are rooted in a positive attitude and a growth mindset. Embracing your confidence will only make you more dynamic, more fun to be around, and MORE butt-kicking than ever.

Confidence breeds more confidence, just like positivity breeds positivity. It can be tough to make that switch, especially if you’ve been feeling stressed, overwhelmed, etc., etc., etc.! But hey, adopt a fake-it-‘til-you-make-it attitude and girl, try on some swagger. Put on that sexy bra and wear that outfit you feel awesome in (even if it’s just to run errands). When you look good, you feel good.

Your confidence and positivity are infectious. You’ll draw others in to you. You don’t have to be faux-positive (no one wants that)—it’s just that little shift in focus to find your silver lining and realize the learning opportunity in every struggle.

Tell yourself you’re great, awesome, amazing, and one hot mama—because lady, YOU ARE!

How to be a strong, confident woman:

1. Realize you have one less rib and you’re still doing better than your counterpart

Women are pretty amazing. We’re creators. Even if you aren’t a mom, chances are you’re still a pet-mom or a cool aunt or really great at taking care of your plants. By our very nature, we’re creators and nurturers—and thus, we’re creative. We give life (to ideas, to children, to our homes). That. Is. Amazing.

Women can do it ALL. No offense to the guys out there, but ladies are amazingly versatile. One minute you’re wiping a nose, tying a shoe, cooking dinner, and letting the dog out (all simultaneously); the next you’re running a business, making decisions, and planning budgets. Guys are single-task focused and women are natural multitaskers (because let’s face it, we have to be).

The only time I’ve ever wished I was a dude was when I was faced with a very dirty public restroom (because let’s just admit, standing up to pee is very convenient). Other than that, guys can keep their bottled emotions, machismo, “tough guy” stuff. There’s a lot of pressure on men to be MEN. I’d much rather be told to woman up than to have to man up. Women don’t have to “be women,” they just are.

You know what I’m talking about. When you make a mistake, when you have baggage, you have to sort through and deal with—so girl, own it! Take accountability. So often we try to make excuses when things go wrong. We shift blame and we think it’s unfair. Well, life can be very unfair. But it’s also what you make of it, so own up to your stuff. Own your garbage and your junk. Only you can change things for yourself.

2. Diversify what makes you happy

There are only a certain number of skills one lady can learn. If your confidence is based only on the things you do well, then you’ll only feel good about yourself when you’re doing that activity. For example, workaholics: they may love their work, but maybe they only feel best about themselves when they work. So they continue to work to continue to feel good about themselves. Find MANY ways to gain satisfaction through work, your family, your hobbies, your LIFE. Remember, you don’t have to be the best at everything to enjoy it!

When your goals and your good mood are dependent on those around you, it’s an emotional roller coaster. If someone’s a jerk to you, does that make you feel bad? Even if it’s not your fault at all? Of course you should care about other people’s feelings, but you also can’t take them on. Your friends should match your values. Everyone goes through a hard time, but avoid the constant downers. If someone’s upset, listen, care, apologize (if you contributed), but don’t let someone’s bad mood or the turn out of the universe impact how YOU feel about YOU.

Sports psychologists use positive visualization to help athletes at all levels. It might sound hokey, but it’s proven to work well—like OLYMPIAN-level well. Believing you can do something psyches you up and gets you ready to do it. On the flip side, telling yourself you can’t do something or focusing on the negative aspects of it does the same thing, but in the reverse. Literally, if you say, “This is too hard. I can’t handle this”—it WILL be and you won’t be able to. So cut the negative self-talk. You’ve got this! You deserve this!

Okay, here we are talking about how YOU can do the things—but now I’m telling you to ask for help!? What gives? Here’s the deal: asking for help is actually a sign of confidence, not weakness. Confidence comes from knowing yourself, your abilities, and your challenges. Asking for help is actually a sign that you know how to reason and use good thinking. Asking for help when you need it is a sign of self-love and bravery!

3. Move forward in spite of fear

Being confident means Believing. In. YOU. Yes, we all have fear, but we move forward in spite of the fear. You can proceed. Move forward even when you have fear. Don’t let it stop you. Mark Twain once said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.” We have to keep moving despite our fears. That is where we are truly brave.

When you wait until you’re confident and “ready,” it’s a slippery slope to failure. Truth be told, it’s a method of self-sabotage. There are many things we face before we’re ready. Yes, we can and should be prepared (don’t just jump into the deep end of the pool when you literally don’t know how to swim). But most of the tough stuff isn’t life or death—so don’t wait for the confidence to come. Sometimes the best way to find your confidence is to just go for it!

In most situations (aside from rock climbing, skydiving, and bungee jumping), the worst-case scenario is rarely as bad as it feels. Sometimes simply recognizing the WORST possibility can make us realize it’s a lot less scary and nebulous than we think. So what’s the worst that can happen? You could fail. You could fall. You could get hurt. But you know what? You pick yourself back up. You can always recover and the more you recover, the stronger you’ll become.

4. Love yourself unconditionally

We’re trained to conditionally love ourselves. Like, “When I lose 10 pounds, I’ll feel better about myself.” Think of your best friend. Do you love her more or less depending on her weight? Does 10 pounds make a difference in how beautiful you think she is? No, of course not! We love others unconditionally, and yet, when it comes to ourselves, we’re super critical and harsh. You are amazing. You only have one body and one shot at life, so make it count. Embrace what you’ve got!

Confidence is a trust that you have the ABILITY, determination, and the will to do “X” (whatever it is you love to do, do well, and kick butt at). Confidence is based on who you are and no one else can take that away. No one can take away your determination or your will. No one else can take away your ability to live your dreams. This is within you and something you create for yourself.

5. Recognize confidence comes from within

It’s time to do some soul searching. Look within yourself and give yourself credit for all the things you do—AND even all the things you attempt to do. Allow yourself to fail, grow, and learn from each experience. Be exactly who you are at this moment. Not who you could be or who you think you should be, but who you are RIGHT NOW. You are unique—embrace it!

Emotions make us genuine, authentic, REAL. Whether you’re speaking, writing, or dancing, expressing your emotions adds beauty, depth, and realness. Learn to get comfortable with your emotions. It doesn’t mean you need to go for the Academy Award with all-out crying, screaming, or rage (although sometimes that might be the case and it’s okay, too). Emotions release energy. Working with a coach for the first time last year, I was in full-out ugly cry sobbing within 7 minutes of our first conversation! I didn’t even know it was in me!! After, I felt transformed. I got it out and it was cathartic. I was a different person because I accepted what was happening inside, took ownership, expressed it, and actively worked to move forward.

I’m a huge believer in meditation and mindfulness. In fact, meditation totally changed my life. It allowed me to connect with myself on a higher level and in a new way. I can review my activities from a semi-objective viewpoint. I can process my activities and my lack of activities in certain areas, as well as my reasons WHY. I can examine my beliefs and the ways I believe in myself. It gives me a chance to forgive myself for my shortcomings on a regular basis. Find what works for you and what keeps you connected on a deeper level.

As I said before, negative energy breeds negative energy. Is this where you want to spend your time? At what cost? It’s time to believe that the world is working FOR you, not against you. Shift your thinking and take the sign as a sign. The world is reaching out to you to work in harmony. Put forth positive and positive things will find you. Yes, sometimes you have an investment in feeling bad—it protects you or it’s for good reason. But sometimes, feeling bad and negative simply has been the story, so it’s time to let it go. Can’t stand your sister-in-law because “she’s the worst person EVER”? Until you decide she isn’t, she will be. Shift your thinking and bring in the positive.

6. Take action

We can become paralyzed by fear. We might drag our feet and put it off. We might procrastinate and ignore deadlines. Taking action is the biggest and best thing you can do to improve your confidence. Say yes! Try new things! Live actively! If you go ice skating and fall all over the place, at least you did it (and I’ll bet you even had some fun)! And next time you know how far away from the wall you can get!  

Did you thought talk of “commitment” was only for people on the dating scene? Well, guess what? We commit to all kinds of things all throughout our lives. Girl, own it!  Be strong. Be committed. If you’re doing YOU, commit to who you are and what you want to be. Don’t waiver from your dreams and goals. Don’t flake out on yourself—hold strong. When you find something commitment-worthy, really embrace it. Strongly commit to the things you do and give it your all.

Remember: You are capable. You have integrity. You have power. With all that awesomeness comes strength and confidence. Girl, I am serious: You frickin’ rock! You kick butt! You’re a superhero and a wonder woman! Believe it because it’s true. You’ve totally got this!

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Ok, so how crazy/awesome is being a mom? Right??

If you’re a mom, you’re working 24/7—and lady, let me tell you: You friggin rock. Kids are hard work. They’re wonderful and just-WOW-amazing and I wouldn’t trade mom-ing for the world, BUT girl it is tough!

I respect the hell out of moms! Anyone who puts their heart and soul into running a household and keeping tiny humans alive, fed, happy and cared for deserves major kudos.

And hey, even amazing moms get that gut-wrenching fear they might be “doing it wrong.” I totally get that. I’ve had those moments just like everyone else…when I argue with my kid about something stupid or snap at her over something small just because I’m having a bad day.

I cringe. I feel bad. Sometimes I even cry. But you know what? No one’s perfect! Not moms—and certainly not CEOs. Being a leader is hard. With great power comes great responsibility…and the power to create something amazing—whether it’s a business or ANOTHER HUMAN comes with a lot of weight.

Point being, if ANYONE knows how to lead it’s MOMS! Being a mom is the perfect training to be a CEO. If you can lead a household, you can pretty much deal with anything the business world can sling at ya!

1. You Set the Vision

As moms, we are responsible for our vision of the family. We set the standards—like what values will and won’t be important in this house. We make the rules and we set the guidelines, policies and procedures.

Will our kids be allowed to watch certain cartoons or eat certain foods? When is bedtime? We’re in charge of setting our family by-laws—and the structure of our family is based on what we set forth.

In the corporate world, leaders hold the vision for their company. A visionary leader sets the tone and they can see what’s on the horizon. Not only do they have vision but they share that vision with those around them. (Total mom-stuff!)

2. You Execute on Your Vision

We set the vision, so then WE are also responsible for carrying out our vision and leading our household to live by those standards.

How often have you heard, “Mom mom mom mom MOOOM! Can I? Can I? CAN I?” even when you’ve already laid down the law? We end up repeating the same message over and over until we’re practically blue in the face.

But guess what? As CEO, you have to do that, too! You’ll constantly receive requests and some of them (while desperate and dire) just don’t align with your vision for your company. If they don’t fit with your standards, you have to say NO. Sometimes over and over and over…

3. You Determine Your (Company) Culture

What’s your household’s “culture”? As an online business manager (OBM), I talk about “company culture” a lot. I ask questions about how the CEO and company leadership set the tone of the company. I ask CEOs of businesses of all sizes, as well as celebs, if they’re embodying the culture of their brand.

As a mom, that’s all on you, too! If Mama’s upset, everyone’s upset, right? Mom sets the tone and tenor for the whole household’s attitude. Her family mimics her coping skills and outlook (whether she wants them to or not)! Is Mom feeling moody? The whole family might feel crabby and irritated. Is Mom feeling positive and generous? Maybe she’ll notice her kids mimicking her optimism.

These responsibilities you manage at home are the exact same things you do within your business. So now’s the time to OWN IT in both places! As a business leader, you should be setting the culture of your company. If you want a positive workspace that walks the talk, you have to do it yourself. YOU set the tone both at home and at the office.

4. You Make Tough Choices, You Learn & Adjust

As leaders and as moms, we’re constantly faced with choices. Not just Coke-or-Pepsi choices, but real, live, huge choices. And how do we even know if our choices are “right”?

We start to measure our choices against our standards—but really, mostly, we don’t know! We aren’t psychic and we don’t have a crystal ball. (Don’t I wish?!) Sometimes we just have to go with our gut and hope for the best, both as moms and as leaders. We might have data and we might have examples from those who came before us, but sometimes we can’t see exactly how things will play out for years.

When people tell me I’m a good mom, I say “thank you,” of course—but really, I’m most concerned about laying the proper foundation for my kids. Day to day, that’s a challenge. And hey, I adjust as I go. We all make mistakes and we all learn—and we try to teach our kids both what we’ve learned and as we are learning. I won’t know if I taught the right lessons until much later when the data comes in. Maybe when they get into high school, they’ll be confronted with drugs or some other hard choice. I pray they’ll make the right decision. But today, I don’t know.  I won’t know for a long time, so I just make the choices based on the data I have and wait and see. As a business leader, it’s no different.

5. You’re Already a Professional Juggler

Women are great multitaskers! Remember how we all laughed at the exposed realities of parenting in that BBC Dad clip? Have you seen the BBC Mom parody version? Mom can juggle ten tasks, while dad is focused on one. Yes, there’s some discussion right now about the efficiency of multitasking in business (but truthfully, I feel like men are mostly leading that conversation)!

Guys just aren’t great multi-taskers and women know how to do it by default, whether it’s at home or at the office. We simply can get more done because we do it automatically. For example, while my husband packs for himself for a vacay, I pack for three of us AND get the dog set, walked and ready. By the time he’s done packing, the house in order, the kids are fed, and everyone’s moving forward. I get it done as I’m going from location to location because I just naturally think, “What 5 things can I do on my way?”

We get interrupted all the time and we don’t skip a beat! Things are thrown at us completely out of the blue and we STILL don’t skip a beat! We multi-taskers run circles around these boys—and as female CEOs, we’ve got all that and more covered!

6. You Understand the Importance of Setting Up Systems

Packing for vacay is yet again a perfect example. Not only do I multitask, but my girls and I have developed a packing system for figuring out how to pack clothes as well as how to determine the exact number of shoes, toys, and stuffed animals we bring. Systems are critical—and as moms we’re constantly setting them up.

We get “workflow.” We understand the need for systems—to get dinner on the table, to get everyone out the door in the morning, to get everyone to lessons and appointments and birthday parties and playdates. It comes so naturally, we might not even think of it as a system or a workflow it itself. It just happens—there are steps to every process and we’re able to envision the steps and break them down simply to get things done.

Systems are absolutely critical to survival in a busy household as well as in a budding business! CEOs do the EXACT SAME THING. They break down the steps required to get a task done, they establish repeatable processes, and they share them with their employees. They find efficient ways to do things so nothing is missed. Moms and great CEOs are experts at systems.

7. You Understand & Appreciate Teamwork

Moms have kids—and altogether the family is a team. Mom might set the vision and implement the systems. She might juggle the tasks and run the household, but it requires a team effort to get it all done. Whether you’re a single parent or married, chances are you rely on your support system of your spouse, friends, family, and neighbors, as well as teachers at school and others to get it all done. That’s your team. Your kids are your team.

CEOs and business leaders know they can’t do it all alone, either. Successful businesses require teamwork. Leaders have to be an inspiration and a motivator—just like Mom. They have to cheer and give instructions. They’re the coach, the captain, and the fan all wrapped into one, but they’re nothing without their team.

Both CEOs and moms have a deep appreciation for teamwork and team effort. Working together is the best way to get ‘er done!

Bonus: You Already Know How Crazy & Rewarding it is to have the World’s Hardest Job!

We alone are responsible for keeping the kids alive and keeping the house from burning down (at minimum). Aside from the fact that we frigging rock, we do the hardest job EVER. Nothing is harder than managing an active household. Nothing.

Not only that, but we’re responsible for creating children who we really hope will turn out to be happy and well-adjusted—and you know, generally good human beings. That’s a hard job, too—THE hardest job, in fact! WAY harder than being a CEO, President, Manager (or any other big-shot company title).

When it comes to business, people can come and go. If it’s not the right fit or an unhealthy environment, or if you plain ol’ fail, you can walk away. Sure, you might lose money. You might even end up having to change your career direction entirely. It might be stressful, but at the end of the day, you can leave.

As a mom, you’re in it FOR LIFE. You’ve taken on the hardest job and you’ve signed up to do it for the rest of it. You are incredible!! If you can handle that, you can seriously handle it all. That’s why being a mom is the PERFECT training to be a CEO!

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Hey there, Boss Lady.

First off, look, I know you’re busy and life feels crazy, but you. are. killin’ it out there! …even if it doesn’t feel that way all the time. (I get it.) As an online business manager (OBM) and entrepreneur mentor, I’ve found that many CEOs haven’t yet realized these truths.

So let’s get down to business. Whether you’re building your business or business is booming—there’s always more to learn about being a CEO!

Turns out, there are quite a few universal truths about being a successful CEO, no matter how your revenue looks or where you are in the business growth process.

As an online business manager (OBM), I’ve worked with CEOs (including celebs) who run the gamut from big businesses to small, working across a whole bunch of industries—and I’ve found that many CEOs haven’t yet realized these truths, even though they’re out there running the show every day! (But hey, sometimes it’s hard to see the whole sky until you’re really flying the plane.)

So I’d like to share these secrets of successful CEOs with YOU. The sooner you learn how the role of CEO really works, the sooner you can level up and become the CEO you need to be.

You got this!

1. You must set the tone and the vision.

You wouldn’t go on a road trip without a map or GPS, right? Well, you can’t run a business without a strong vision—and when you’re CEO, it’s all eyes on YOU.

I’ve seen plenty of companies wander along—not really failing, but not thriving either. They’re just…wandering. Why? Because the CEO didn’t set a strong tone and vision for the organization.

It’s hard to arrive a destination when you have no idea where you’re going. So many entrepreneurs start out with an idea for their product, but they lack a clear vision for their business. You set the tone. You make the timeline. This is your vision and your baby. No one else will do it for you and it won’t happen without deliberate effort.

2. You need to live and breathe by the data.

Wouldn’t it be great to gaze into a crystal ball and see a totally clear picture of exactly how everything in your business is working? (Like who doesn’t want that, right?) Great news! You already have access to an even better fortune teller: it’s your data.

Data is the pulse of your business. Your data tells you what’s working and what’s not. It tells you if your customers are satisfied and if your product is performing. Data guides you. Data makes the decisions. Just like your vision, you need data to help you map out your products, diversify your offerings, expand your brand, and grow. Maybe you aren’t a “math person.” Maybe you hate spreadsheets. (Maybe just the thought of spreadsheets sends you into a panic, for that matter.)

Well, you don’t have to love data, but you can’t afford to ignore it.

So look at your numbers. Check out your analytics. A/B test your communications. Don’t fear the truth behind feedback and testing. Welcome it, and use it as a platform to direct your next moves toward business growth.

3. You cannot lose your cool.  

We’ve all done it at some point: we’ve completely lost it at our spouse, our kids, an employee…someone. As CEO, you must resist the urge. Fight it. If you lose your cool, you’ll just frighten your spouse, your team, your investors, and your customers. Seriously not cool.  

Sounds lonely, right? Well that’s why most CEOs nowadays have a coach of their own or a mastermind group—so they can privately express and work through their fears and doubts, without causing trouble on the outside. Now, I’m not saying you can’t ever vent, but you have to understand it’s a careful slippery slope. Use your coach. That’s what they’re there for.

Get someone you can work with—someone who will help you deal with work baggage before you start slinging it at your employees or customers. Hey, we ALL have fears, doubts and frustrations. It’s OK to express them! Just find someone who can help you process your struggles behind the scenes and keep moving forward as the face of the company.

4. This is no longer your passion project.  

Okay, okay, of course it’s great to like (or even LOVE) your work. Go for it. But you’re in business now, so your focus is revenue and growth. So now’s your time to think BIG. So instead, use your business wins to finance your passions.

If you’re currently standing in that middle ground, moving from hobby to full-fledged business, yes, this can be particularly challenging. But it’s time to STEP UP your game. Your team relies on you, so you need to shift to business-mode: always thinking about what’s best for the business as a whole. You’re going to make some super tough choices and you’re going to have to think beyond yourself (which I’m sure you’re already used to, but there you have it).

This is a new normal—and a powerful, new era you’re entering.

What fits with your brand? What works best for your business, your employees, your customers? What shifts do you need to make to ensure continuity, stability and growth? Do that. Do that today!

5. You won’t love it every day.

Most business owners eventually realize they no longer love coming to work every day. *Gasp!* What?? Well, it’s true. Even if you loooove being in charge of your own business, executing your own vision and running the show every single day…you will NOT always love coming to work.

I’m not going to lie. It’s not always easy. But you chose to be an entrepreneur, so YOU chose to go down this fun (but crazy and sometimes miserable) path.

Work is still work. It’s not going to be 100% fun 100% of the time. Days off still feel like a relief and you’re still going to crave a vacation that allows you to just enjoy your kids and/or hang out with your spouse, and stop thinking about your business.

And hey, that’s OK. You deserve time to take off work and take care of yourself. Working yourself into exhaustion is pretty much the worst, and it’s really not helping your business in the long run.

Even if you’re passionate about your craft and you truly love it—you’ll still have days when you’re crabby and tired. So it’s OK to ask for help and give yourself a well-deserved break.

6. You’ll feel like a fraud sometimes (but you’re not).

COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg once attended a speech at Harvard University called “Feeling Like a Fraud.” She said she felt like they were speaking directly to her the entire time. Seriously. Sheryl Sandberg, with a net worth of $1.3 billion.

Alllll of us have suffered a moment of imposter syndrome—maybe even a lot of moments. As CEO, there will be times when you’ll feel like, “OMGoodness, they’re onto me. They know I have no clue what I’m doing!!”

The reality is…they don’t know. You DO have a clue. You’re doing the things and you’re awesome at running your own business. But yes, being a CEO is a learning experience. There’s a new moment of growth every single day. It’s hard and sometimes fraught with stress and scary moments, and yet you are doing it and rocking it! GO YOU.

7. You say NO 1000 times more than you say YES.  

Every mom knows this feeling and so does every CEO. You say no over and over and over. No, we can’t do that right now. No, I don’t think this is the right plan yet. No, I don’t think this is ready to launch. No, this color won’t work.

Saying YES is far harder than saying no:

Yes is commitment.

Yes to moving forward.

Yes to progression.

The yeses are far harder to come by because the yeses take more of your time, more of your energy, and/or more of your money. So you have to be very careful. If you come across a potential YES situation, but it’s not 100% aligned with your business goals, then that’s a NO.

Plan to say NO more often—but don’t be afraid of a great YES! As CEO, you make the decisions and you need to make them with confidence. Answer both without fear!

8. You get to take the credit (and occasionally the blame).

This is your business, your creation! When it thrives, you get to hear the praise. You get to reap the benefits and the rewards from your success. You get to have the corner office (or if you work from home, the prime space above the garage, ha).

This also means that when things get messed up…well, you just have to put on your big girl pants and deal with it. The buck stops and starts with you—which it totally wonderful and totally scary. People love their scapegoats, from “my dog ate my homework” to “my employee messed up your order.” But when you’re the CEO, you have to take the kudos and the critique in stride.

And how fun is THAT?!? This is YOUR baby. This is your responsibility and nobody can take it away from you.

So, the trick is to accept the feedback and be constructive with it. Rather than looking for somewhere to place the blame, look at how YOU can fix the problem and move forward. How can you make this a growth experience?

9. You have to diversify.

No matter what your business, whether you’re an entertainer, a widget saleswoman, a blogger or an inventor, your product isn’t your brand. Your company is your brand—and your brand is more than just one product.

Let me repeat: Your company is your brand and your brand is more than one product!!

If you aren’t looking for different ways to promote your brand, and change up and diversify your offerings, you’re missing opportunities. No idea how to do that? Keep asking yourself questions. If you run a blog, what other products can you offer? Can you promote affiliates? Can you create an eBook? Can you offer an online course? Can you present as a guest speaker at a conference?

You don’t have to put all your eggs in one basket. If you do, you’ll miss out on opportunities to expand and grow. With today’s online world, products and ideas can become obsolete very quickly. You have to be ever-changing, always offering new products and ideas to the world.

10. You don’t need to do everything, but you do need to inspire.

As CEO, you don’t have to do it all. And you don’t have to be everything to everyone in your company…or to your clients. Do what you do well and lead others into doing the rest. You are the source of inspiration and YOU are the one that sounds the call to action!

So often we feel we have to do it ALL, including the parts we might not do well—even the parts we aren’t even interested in. Maybe you’re great at writing, but terrible at tech. Learn the very basics (because it’s important to understand all of your business on a floor level) and then outsource it! Delegate it and move on to the things you’re really good at.

Promote your company, grow your business, oversee your employees—but don’t get bogged down in minutia. Keep yourself focused and moving forward.

As CEO, it’s most important that you lead. Remember, you are the head of your brand and your company. YOU are the boss.

You’re already out there kickin’ butt and takin’ names because you hit the ground running and you’re amazing at what you do! Add these CEO secrets to your arsenal and you’ll be ready to take on the WORLD. Go get it!!

So you’ve done it. You’ve taken the first step to success by allowing yourself to believe you can do it. You’re taking your dreams seriously. You feel confident that big things are coming your way. Sometimes I think that’s the hardest part, because we might’ve spent years pushing aside our actual goals for the things that seemed more realistic or easier.

This post may contain affiliate links. 

Now that you are ready to go after your passions and get more out of life, it’s time to bring in a few key strategies that will actually help you get from point A to B and all of the letters that are sure to come after that!

It all comes down to visualization.

Ever heard the phrase, “I’d have to see it to believe it,” ? It usually takes on a skeptical vibe.

That’s where visualization comes in. The point of visualization is to harness the power of positive mental imagery, so that happy daydreams aren’t just a lack of focus, but a motivating factor and a roadmap to real, tangible success.

With these three visualization techniques, you’ll allow yourself to picture the outcome of your hard work and all of the progress you make along the way. It’s so incredibly inspiring and motivating for the initial push you need to get going, and will act as reassurance in times of doubt. As cliché as it sounds, the more you’re able to see yourself succeeding, the more you’ll believe in your own ability– with each one fueling the other.

A month of 2017 has already passed, but you can still crush all of the goals you have for this year by taking advantage of visualization from this moment forward!

1. Vision

The overall goal in all of this is to make our dreams a reality, and a vision board does that in the most basic sense. You start by printing, tearing out, and collecting all of the visual representations of what you want your life to be or include– a mix of things that haven’t happened yet and the happy moments we’d like to have more of in the future. Include images, words, quotes, and colors– anything that makes you feel inspired. This is for you and you only, so don’t worry about what others might think of your goals. Your vision board is a daily reminder of all the things you’re working so hard for, so holding back or censoring that is holding back the amount of motivation you’ll get out of the process.

If you’ve always dreamed of owning a red Mercedes convertible, stick one onto your board. If your dream is to travel as often as you did in your twenties, dig out a picture from one of your favorite adventures and use that to represent that specific goal. Life is made up of material items, emotions, and abstract ideas, so your vision board should as well.

And don’t be afraid to have some fun with the process of making the vision board! Turn on your favorite playlist and pour a glass of wine like the ultimate adult arts-n-crafts. Instead of flipping through magazines or Pinterest pages with envy, peruse like a serious shopper. Which parts of those photo shoots and inspo pages interest you the most? What would you be willing to work for? When it comes to your dream life, there is no wrong answer.

Tweet: Crush Your 2017 Goals With These Visualizations https://ctt.ec/5c6E1+ #entrepreneur #workingmom

2. Meditation

There are so many wonderful effects that come from taking the time to meditate, and some of the best fall under the visualization umbrella. Meditation is a way for us to organize our thoughts, set our intentions, and gain some mental clarity, but we can also use that time to envision our goals being realized.

Have you ever spent hours playing out potential scenarios and conversations in your mind the night before a big event? It’s usually out of anxiety and prevents you from getting the restful sleep you need to perform the next day– not to mention, it hardly ever proves useful in terms of preparation. Mom life can be stressful, for sure! Meditation, on the other hand, is a way to walk yourself through a situation without stress to cloud your judgment. Because it’s a relaxing process, since it incorporates deep breathing and a designated time set aside, you can work through a solution with a clear head. You are essentially practicing for how you’ll handle the conflicts and interactions that may come up as you work on your goals, which is a crucial next step after the vision board. Whereas the vision board is an unfiltered look at the “why” – why you’re working so hard–, meditation is a technique for visualizing the “how” – how you’ll accomplish all of these goals. While you meditate, you can not only practice scenarios, but will these outcomes into being. You can become a self-fulfilling prophecy in the best way, by focusing so intensely on your goals that they have no choice but to come true.

My favorite meditation is this one! It's something you must listen to.  It will lift you right and and ramp you up for the day1

3. Bullet Journaling

The feeling you get when you see your own progress is worth all of the stress, doubting, fear, and time that went into making that happen– which is probably a big part of why we keep going and refuse to give up. I love working with planners and making lists, but when it comes to visualization, there is a specific journaling method that really encapsulates the ideas behind visualization best.

It’s called bullet journaling.

Bullet journals are a slightly eccentric but highly visual combination of goal planners, to-do lists, diaries, and sketch pads. They can be made from any type of journal or notebook, lined or unlined, depending on your preference, and the contents are made as you go. The first few pages are where you’ll make an index over time. Just like the table of contents in a book, you can reference the index to find the page number of whatever you’re looking for, whether it be your long-term goals or books you’d like to read.

Bullet journals keep track of things you’ve done, things you want to do, and all of the ideas in between. The point is to keep your text concise and include plenty of visuals, whether that be a hand-drawn calendar, symbols to designate the status of a project’s components, or a page full of doodles. You can set aside a page for the sole purpose of listing your little daily “wins,” and another for the larger accomplishments. A bullet journal grows and evolves with you as a tangible representation of your progress, and a sneaky excuse to invest in some really, really great colorful pens!

Let's not forget that you have DO THE WORK required to "crush your goals".  But that said these 3 tools can help you stay focused and on course!

Good luck!

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We care about our work. We are the proud, huddled masses (huddled in front of our computers, that is) who use our free time to read blogs, listen to podcasts, and search for whatever else will make us better at our careers. The dedication is there. What happened to balancing work and family? In all of our well-intentioned professional development, we still have not mastered the art of saying no– or at least of saying no and not feeling like a complete jerk for doing so.

We know we deserve more recognition, higher pay, and above all, not to feel guilty about it. And yes, there are factors beyond our immediate control– but there are also some habits you can choose to say no to every day that make a huge, noticeable impact.

What am I talking about?

I’m referring to the little choices we make on a daily basis in our work lives that hold us back and stress us out. The incessant emails we grudgingly reply to, despite their lack of importance, because we want to be helpful and accommodating. The lunch hours we work through because asking for help would mean interrupting someone else’s schedule. You can chalk it up to perseverance and a rare work ethic, or you can come to terms with how stressful it can be to put your foot down and refuse.

I won’t tell you it’s not. I will, however, tell you how you can say no to five of these common work habits without any need to feel guilty, selfish, or GASP! “mean.”

1. Working Yourself to Exhaustion

One of the biggest risks of enjoying work is letting that ability to work harder and longer than other people be taken advantage of. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should– a phrase to remember the next time you have to decide between staying late on a Friday or spending time with your kids.

Maybe you don’t even realize you’re taking on too much at once, and that’s something we can fix. The key to gauging your work limits is getting organized ahead of time. Instead of accepting every extra project that comes your way and realizing later on that you don’t have room for it in your schedule, plan out what you need to accomplish this week so you can see what you have time for. Set a measurable work goal for each day, and allow yourself to go home and reset once you complete it. You can say no to working overtime, even when you have to say it to yourself.

2. Answering Every Call & Email

Technology is supposed to make communication more convenient and more readily available, and I think that has subconsciously carried over into us thinking that we have to be readily available anytime our iPhones buzz, ping, and light up. Instant communication is an option, not a mandate! It’s a little insane how much power that little red notification over my inbox icon has! But hey, you’re not Siri and you’re not a concierge. Unless it’s your kids calling, you can let voicemail serve its purpose until you have time to respond. Sometimes I think that making myself available to every text, email, Facetime, G Chat, Skype, etc. will make me seem like I’m completely on top of my stuff– but I’ve found it’s better to finish the task at hand and respond when I can devote my full focus to the conversation. Besides, you set the tone for how others will contact you. Answering every call and email right away may cause your coworkers to expect that kind of immediate response every time!

If you feel obligated, there are so many explanations you can give as to why you weren’t available right at that moment, from being on another call to being so wrapped up in a project that you didn’t notice the notification right away. But when it comes to the not-so-pressing messages, you don’t owe anyone an excuse for having other priorities.

3. Discounting Your Services

Money is a sensitive topic for many people, but you can’t be sensitive about your worth or your livelihood. Payment is a part of doing business, so don’t be nervous to bring it up to your employer. They know you are working in exchange for a profit, but they may not realize you’re unhappy with the size of that profit. If your time and effort aren’t being accurately or satisfactorily compensated, what’s stopping you from negotiating a raise? Maybe you’re worried you’ll seem greedy or be turned down– but it’s more likely that you’ll be respected. It shows you feel confident, value your work, and you’re not afraid to make sure your client or employer values it fairly too.

Decide on a figure that makes sense for your time+the raw materials+your experience level and consider that against the going rate for that service/product.  That way, you don’t start deducting and adjusting based on how much you like the client or what their budget is, and you have a logical breakdown to explain that you didn’t just pluck a price out of nowhere.

Tweet: These 5 Work Habits Are Holding You Back! & How to Say NO! https://ctt.ec/7dgo1+ #entrepreneur #workingmom

4. Not Asking For Help

I’ll be the first one to admit guilt with this one. I just don’t like the feeling of realizing I can’t always do everything myself. It turns out, the feeling of being so overwhelmed and helpless because I should’ve asked for help is way worse. Don’t let your pride get in the way of progress! You won’t seem weak for asking a coworker to lend you a hand on an assignment– it’s just the opposite. You’ll seem resourceful and insightful for knowing when you’re in over your head. Sure, you could let yourself struggle through it on your own… but that means taking longer to get to the finished product. If you work with a team, the beauty of that is being able to reach out to the other team members when you need to.

5. Being Late

Despite what you might think, being late is not an irreversible character trait. You weren’t born with an inability to get to work on time! Even if your boss hasn’t commented on this little habit, being late means not getting started on time, which means not getting as much done as you’d like to or need to… and inevitably working later into the evening to finish your tasks. It’s a slippery slope, and a habit that becomes harder to correct the longer you let yourself feel okay with it. In truth, you’re holding yourself back. So start saying no by packing yourself up the night before, waking up a little earlier, and leaving the house with more time than you need.

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“We accept the love we think we deserve.”

— Stephen Chbosky

Above all, I hope you know that you are very much deserving of love. You work hard! And I value you deeply. But there’s something you need to hear, even if you’re not sure you deserve the harsh truth headed your way. This may not be the usual tone I take, but it comes from the same intention I always stand by: to help and support women business reach their goals and stay sane while doing so! I do it because I respect the hell out of the women who refused to settle for either work or parenting– one or the other. We want both, because our dreams are much more nuanced than some people gave us credit for.

But that’s a massive undertaking. You didn’t choose an easy path. Not only are there obstacles and unsure footing, but long stretches where there really are no road maps or signposts to let you know you’re still headed in the right direction.

There are days when you get so overwhelmed, discouraged, and frustrated– and as much as we’d like it to, the world doesn’t owe us a reprieve or consolation.

Creative entrepreneurism isn’t for the faint of heart, and motherhood even less so.

The one, absolute constant to depend on is your mindset. If you have the attitude that you will succeed and flourish, then you will.

If you spend time looking for something or someone to blame for not having the life you want, you’ll never get it.

I think this is something we all know, deep down. Whether we consciously acknowledge this truth is a wholly different matter. I don’t blame you for not wanting to hold yourself responsible when every day has a full set of responsibilities already assigned to you. Especially as mothers, when we wake up and go to sleep worried about the small, blossoming lives that we have the happy burden of nurturing, protecting, and shaping for their own successes.

Haven’t we always been told that we can achieve anything we set our minds to?

So why don’t we believe it?

If you want to meet someone to pitch your big idea or make a business connection, reach out to them. Don’t worry about what they might think or if they’ll turn you down. Deal with the actual events as they happen in the present, or you’ll anchor yourself in hypothetical disappointment.

If you want to start a website, log on to SquareSpace or Wordpress right now and just start. If you’re telling yourself that you need a concrete business plan, a web developer, and marketing team in place before you take the first step, you’re making excuses.

Happiness is a choice.

It’s comprised of the little ways we decide to view the world and all the situations we face. It’s seeing the value in negative experiences, but also wanting to improve them of our own accord. If your instinct is to wait for someone else to make you feel better, you’re depriving yourself of the pride and satisfaction that comes with being your own hero. The world doesn’t often take pity on those who actively choose not to help themselves– or others. So don’t wait for the world to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime, or for fate to decide it’s your turn to win. That outcome isn’t a matter of chance, but of working hard and insisting it will. Be a self-fulfilling prophecy in the best way.

Helplessness is a myth.

It’s a sickening emotion that we can fall victim to if we buy into its reality. There is always something you can do to make things better than they were before, even if there isn’t a precedent already set. How many success stories feature a person who, against all odds, shocked the world with a seemingly ridiculous idea? How many of the world’s greatest minds were told they’d amount to nothing– and had to believe in themselves when no one else would?

You can spend another year reading about these revolutionary underdogs in viral blog posts and 60 Minutes specials. Or you can tell yourself right now and everyday that follows, “I will see this through. I have big dreams and I will make all of them happen.”

It’s an intimidating prospect, no doubt, because it means that there’s no one else to blame if you fail. That’s why you have to remove that as a possibility. Change your inner dialogue until you’re your own biggest proponent and cheerleader and emotional benefactor. Ignore concepts like modesty and realistic-ness. You don’t have to tone down your goals or place boundaries on how far you can go and how successful you’ll be. You’re entitled to the world, and anyone who’s threatened by your ambition and confidence needs to be reevaluated.

Make 2017 the year you’ve never had before, and the one you’ll look back on as the start of a new era. Expect messiness and complications, but don’t fear them.

I agree that we accept the love we think we deserve.

I hope to always get the advice I need.

And I’ll always work for the life I want.

I wish the same for you.

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You can focus on creating multiple streams of income or waking up early to finish the laundry. While both need to happen at some point, they are not both a priority. Your to-do list is long, and time is limited. Make the most out of each day by knowing where to spend the energy and when to let things slide. 

You can’t force motivation. It’s just not realistic to expect yourself to wake up each day with a laser focus on being productive, and the energy to follow through. But your heart is in this, and you can retrain your brain little by little until being your best self is only a matter of “I woke up like this.” 

When?

Even if you’ve struggled to stick to New Year’s resolutions in the past, the fact remains that this is an incredibly opportune time to make a change. We’ve been told over and over that this is a chance for starting over and bettering ourselves, so the perception is already ingrained in our psyches. It’s not a date you can push back and put off, and the aura of change will be all around you. Plan to start making little changes on January 1.

I changed my life January 1, 2016 and you can plan to do the same in 2017.

How?

You know how they say it only takes 21 days of doing something until it becomes a habit? It’s like that. You make the change. You fight for it. Every living day. And to start you can majorly change your life by making minor adjustments in how you approach the different parts of your day to day.

It’s all about active vs. passive.

These are terms you’ve heard a million times before, but did you ever consider redefining your life with them? You can’t resolve to be on your game, 100%, every day, but you can change how you approach your day to start getting the most out of it. As a working mom, you can do this by organizing the parts of your life into active or passive categories. What deserves your full attention and engagement, and what is better being overlooked?

You want to live actively in the parts of your life that call for it most-- the activities that benefit your mental health, wellbeing, and financial success. Dedicate your time and attention to the things that have the greatest positive results. Anything that doesn’t move you forward or positively affect your life should be regarded passively, with little acknowledgment and even less emotional significance.

Here’s where to start:

5 PLACES TO LIVE ACTIVELY:

1. Getting Out of Your Routine

There’s much to be discovered when you deviate from the beaten path, especially when the beaten path is the one you travel day after day, without much enthusiasm. Boredom and apathy come when you know exactly what to expect, so even if your daily routine isn’t horrible and painful, you’re still doing yourself a disservice by repeating it for too long. Stimulate your creativity and curiosity and make a change. I did things that freaked me out. Scared me to tears - before and after the activity. I fell and was foolish. I was embarrassed and I was terrible. But then guess what happened - I created some successes too. How did you start a podcast? How did you get so many listeners? How did you put yourself out there? How do you earn money from it? Do something that freaks you out. The mere fact that you will survive it - is eye-opening and can be life-changing too!

Even if it’s just trying a new restaurant for lunch, or going to the grocery store on a different day of the week. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll see, and that’s exciting all on its own. If you could choose, wouldn’t you want your life to be more Alice in Wonderland than Groundhog Day? Good thing you can choose.

2. Driving Sales

Boosting sales is a cause and effect type deal. Do what you haven't done before. Hello! Put yourself out there in a new way. Every business owner has to play an active role in accomplishing this, or sit around and hope a celebrity gets photographed with your product in US Weekly. Devote more time to researching marketing trends and implementing launch strategies. Start implementing ideas for multiple streams of income. Set up social media accounts for your business and go after meaningful business connections Reaching out to customers and influencers online is one of the easiest, cheapest methods of becoming active in this category.

3. Reducing Wasteful Spending

Ignoring the pile of receipts won’t make them go away, but actively addressing your spending habits will. Take a look at your spending history and see how many of your purchases were for essentials, and how many were a matter of impulse. What items could’ve been avoided if you had planned ahead? Even downloading a spending analyzer app is an active step toward cutting back on wasteful spending.

4. Being With Your Family & Friends

This is dual-sided, because it takes a deliberate effort sometimes to not only set aside time with your loved ones, but to be actively engaged when you do. If your life is so regimented and busy that it means scheduling family time in your planner, then so be it. Just make sure you can commit to a few hours of being there mentally in addition to physically, aka setting aside your phone. Family time is an important investment that can be overlooked without a little effort.

5. Living a Powerful Life Everyday

Fake it ‘til you make it, believe it until you achieve it. You can be wealthy without trying, but you can’t live a powerful, impactful life without actively pursuing one. Wake up everyday and tell yourself that you are powerful!

Then reinforce that mantra by living actively where it matters. Make choices that you can feel good about, and always look to move forward.

5 PLACES TO LIVE PASSIVELY:

1. Technology

For all of its benefits, there are just as many downsides to technology. It’s necessary for running a business in the 21st century, but that doesn’t mean you need to invest your personal life in all of the online happenings. Adopt a passive, almost uninterested approach to the internet and all of its trappings (see: the phone glued to your hands at all times). You don’t need to get involved in the comment war on Facebook or check Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat every hour on the hour. Contrary to popular belief, you can go to sleep without scanning social media for everything that happened online that day- and will probably sleep better because of it. You don’t have to cut yourself off from the outside world, just make sure it’s not on your priorities list.

2. Laundry

Disclaimer: please do not give up on your hygiene. But is forcing yourself to wake up early on Sunday to fold socks going to better your life? Let chores like laundry fade into the background instead of taking center stage. It will get done, just not before the things that help you reach your goals. You’re much more than a housewife, so think beyond that. You have much greater priorities. Besides, if you have school-age children or adult family members, the role doesn’t even have to belong to you at all.

3. Grocery Store

If you go to the grocery store because it’s Sunday, and not because you actually need anything, then you’re not living passively in this area. I know that most people make trips to the supermarket based on a schedule, but think of how much time that wastes! Grocery shopping doesn’t have to be a weekly outing that must be done above all else. Let it become a part of your life that you treat passively, meaning it gets attention only when warranted… such as when K-Cups go on sale.

4. Returning Every Email

I know how powerful the Pavlovian response to that little red notification box can be on your mail app. Maybe if it was a different color, we wouldn’t all be so anxious about opening and responding to emails as quickly as possible- I’ll write a letter to Apple. But in the meantime, decide to live passively in this situation. Having email capabilities on your phone is supposed to be a convenience, not an obligation. A powerful life is not one bogged down by tedious email responses. Your time is important, and you only need to give your time to the important emails.

5. Watching Every Show

It’s nice to be up on the latest pop culture trivia, but it’s better to feel accomplished in something with real value. Passivity here means watching TV when you have time and want to decompress, instead of blocking out your entire weekend to binge Orange is the New Black. There are too many streaming services and recording options to justify putting off something important in order to catch an episode. Besides, we all know it’s never going to be just one episode- not with THAT cliffhanger! Make a list of the shows that have piqued your interest, and catch up on them on your sick day, long weekends, or flight (Netflix now lets you stream offline!)

These past few weeks we have talked about doing work that is important to you, finding out what is important, how to make such decisions and why you need to. Today is just the beginning for creating space and making room in your life for achieving these things that you are deciding to work on. There IS room in your life for all these things - you just have to decide what you want and actively go for it.

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Today I am going to jump right in. It's Monday and I mean business. I'm your online business manager and I know what's holding you back. It's one of these 2 things.

Here it is, the 2 things holding you back:

It's your focus. Or your lack of focus. Period.

Don't roll your eyes! I'm not your mother!

You are making decisions in one of two ways. With how you feel or by what the data is telling you. Truthfully, you need to use a combination of both. Both activities will aid you in becoming the next powerhouse in your industry.

Start here. Start today.

What is the data telling you? Here is a quick list of what to look at.

Tweet: When your OBM says: "I know what's holding you back" http://ctt.ec/498Rc+ via @ashleighblatt

Emails

• What emails are being read?
• What emails are being tossed?
• What emails have the most clicks?
• What emails have the most responses?
• Where does your email funnel shine? Where do they start to lose steam?

Sales

• Where is the sale coming from?
• How many sales were generated per platform?
• How many sales were generated per push?
• What is your Cost Per Acquisition?

Engagement

• What is Google Analytics telling you? Where and how are your peeps finding you?
• How many Likes / Hearts / ReTweets are you getting per post?
• Which post has the most engagement?

Yes. All of this matters in your business. All of this information tells you what is connecting and what is not.

Now what are you to do with this data?

Take it step by step. One by one. Task by task.

-> Data (or a transfer of information) is what made Fast Fashion (you know Zara, H&M and Primark) is what made these business owner ga-gillionaires. They use their data from their quick sales to make decisions about product creations and sales prices.

-> Data is why the Pop-Up Shop exists. You test your products, prices and players and let the data tell you what to do. Check out #2 in this article - data is king.

-> Data is what won The Donald his seat in the White House. Like it or not, moving on the data they had took them to the Oval. This article was a fascinating read on that topic.

This is the era we live in. This is era where business is won.

Data

More Data.

and You.

Don't forget you have to do the work.

You have to take the data, absorb it, make the changes necessary and move forward.

Step by step. One by one. Task by task.

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Business ideas are super easy to come by. But what do you do with them once you have them? First - we have to take a look at what is happening in your business today. We have to know what’s going on and where to build from, and what works best for you.

Are you like me? Do you settle into an evening and think about the day that just passed? The future days ahead? This time of year, everyone - and I mean everyone - is thinking about the next year. Will it be more of the same? Or will change really happen? Will you do anything that is exciting??

There’s something about the holiday season that tells us to lapse on life and in business. But man oh man there is also a very strategic power movement happening too.

You know the quote “Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise”? Many entrepreneurs are doubling down today so they can hit the ground running tomorrow. Right now, they are doubling down.

I have had so many conversations like this lately, I want to get you started in the right direction.

First, let’s talk about IDEAS and what to do with them.

Business ideas are super easy to come by. Well, for me they are super easy to come by. I read like a maniac. I work with people in all sorts of fields and industries. I love having the insider knowledge of how businesses operate. I soak it in like others soak in US Weekly. My IT experience had me working with CEOs and CTOs of government agencies and Fortune 500s - even Fortune 100s. We were building kick-*ss systems to keep us safe and to protect our people abroad, to keep Americans healthy - like legit healthy, to help our Vets in very real ways, and yes to also manage hundreds of millions of dollars. Now I get to work with the most amazing entrepreneurs who are not shy about wanting to build build build in this online world. It’s a random combination, but nothing short of a whole lot of fun!

Where to Start? With your Deep-Dive -> Ideas and Needs -> and then your For What & Gut

You know in marketing when people tell you that you have to do the research on your ideal client or figure out your avatar. You nod your head and slightly roll your eyes saying, "yeah yeah, I already know that." Then, not until you have done that actual work do you realize how amazing and important that activity was?

Well, my first steps here are as important to follow through on as figuring out the ideal client and avatar is for the marketer.

First - we have to take a look at what is happening in your business today. We have to know what’s going on and where to build from, what works best for you.

When you take a deep-dive look into your business, you want to be honest. You want to go into the data and write out what is working, what’s not, and where the improvements need to be. How and where you need to improve your business in the current state. Look at your sales, presence, exposure (2 different things), and your purpose. At the end of your review, you will know where you are awesome - where you are rocking it! And quite frankly, where you have room for improvement. Within this review you will also get a clear understanding on what you want - what your ideas and needs are.

For example:

There is this amazing designer out that has an almost 7-figure business strictly through word-of-mouth referral business. 7-figures and no advertising whatsoever. What’s even more amazing is that this designer gets referrals from Billionaire to Billionaire (yes with a B) and from Celeb to Celeb. His work is as gorgeous as the clients are high-end. But get this, the man has no (none, zip, zero) social media presence. No Facebook page. No Twitter account. Has no email list. Has no outreach program. Crazy, right?

It’s so crazy you kind of love that, right?

But listen to this, he also knows he’s losing business because of it. He knows the “younger kids” look to see what he’s doing online and when they see nothing, they move on. He also knows that he’s missed client work and then even partnership opportunities because he has no presence. One of his designer friends, who has a decent social media presence, partnered with another brand to make window coverings.

Boring, right? Not so much.

Not until you hear those window coverings bring in over $10,000 / month.

FOR WINDOW COVERINGS.

That’s real money. That’s less clients you have to take on. Less time out of your busy schedule.

So, you start with an understanding of where you in your business currently, review and understand your needs and does this line up with your "for what"? When you have this information, you understand how to lay the foundation and where you need to build from. Make sense?

You understand how your business is currently operating. You know what you should do. Now what do you want to do? What are your natural extensions? What do your customers want? What do you want to do?

How oh how will you choose?

2 Ways:

1. You have to look at the numbers. There is no way around it. Numbers do not lie.
2. You have listen to what your gut is saying.

When we run the numbers behind creating a new project or product, we take a look at time, effort, materials, and marketing and we compare that against a conservative and an aggressive sales or impact outlook. You are in the business to make money. Will this effort and investment be worth it?

Where can find quick wins? Where do we want to be long-term?

Let’s say you’re thinking about pulling together booklets, notepads, and stickies! There are short term projects here and there are long term projects here.

When you look at the numbers - customer base? Conservative sales estimate? Margins vs investment? Is the initial design and maintenance worth it to you??

In the short term, this could bring in a few hundred to a few thousand dollars - more even. Is that worth it to you? Then thinking long term, is this a good tool to use for additional customer acquisition?

Could these new products drive traffic to your other products and services? What is the cost acquisition for a low cost product vs a high cost product? What conversion estimates can you determine from one to the other?

For example:

Maybe planners and scratch pads are not thrilling for you, per se, but what if I told you the one-time design and product has KILLER margins. You know there is a reason why you see so many pads and planners in the stores. What if I told you these low-cost items that are sold in the aisles at big box stores account for as much as 30% of their annual revenue and bring in the highest margins. There is a reason why when you’re standing in the checkout line that you’re surrounded by these goodies.

A real, specific reason. People want to BUY more.

THEN, not sure if this is of interest to you, but as an example, I know several specific people who market their lower priced items like the workbook / planner / stickies for revenue AND customer acquisition purposes. Planners and pads bring in revenue yes but they also help create new client relationships from which you can build. These women bring in decent monthly revenue from their products and then also use this as their starting point for a killer sales funnel for their more expensive products and services too. All in all bringing in 7-figures a year.

And then suddenly are you going to look at the sticky pad a little bit differently aren’t you??

(And now you know why I soak in business stories like they are an US Weekly!)

And if you still don't care, that brings me to my final point.

If you just don’t care, then you just don't care, and not a minute more needs to be spent on it... at this time. No effort or time will be worth it. This is when you have to go with your gut. This is when you have to be honest with what excites you, what doesn’t, where you want to spend your time and not.

Everyone has different business ideas, different goals and is coming from a different starting point. The quick wins are different for everyone. The long-term build is similar, but different for everyone.

That’s why I want you to 1) do a deep-dive of understanding into your current business 2) know where the ideas are 3) know what the needs are (from your data) 4) know what really excites you and for what you doing this work for.

Your information, your data, and your gut will tell you, if you listen to it, where oh where you should go next year!

Once you know where you want to go, you have to make room for it! Click here to sign up for my Make Room for Revenue 8 Step Checklist. You don't have to be 1 thing. Not at this stage. Not anymore.

When you're a creative entrepreneur sometimes you forget that you should be using your creativity to generate multiple streams of income!

Let’s call a spade a spade. It what it is. Being a creative entrepreneur isn’t easy.

So please oh please don't make it harder on yourself!

It’s easy to fall in love with, and easy to work hard at because your passion is there and the fulfillment is just so rewarding. But it’s not cut and dry. There is no set trajectory or linear path of steps to follow – and that can be frightening. Being classified as “creative” means your business is inherently unique. I’d rather be unique when going into a business venture because it could mean striking gold where no one else has even thought of looking, but the flip side of that is never really having a handbook to fall back on when you hit a fork in the road.

But here’s how I can help you– all of you going after creative, non-traditional dreams– in very specific terms. Let me tell you what not to do. Take a minute to go through a few of the common mistakes I have seen creative entrepreneurs make over the years. If any of these already sound like you, it’s not too late! If you’re just starting out, here’s what to look out for:

1. You’re not treating yourself like a multi-faceted business

If you secretly worry that your business idea will only ever end up as a failed hobby, that insecurity will hold you back. What else holds you back is not thinking big enough. Not recognizing how much people need and want from you. You are in demand, right? You are loved and beloved. The possibilities are infinite. So why are you still producing 1-2 products a year?

It's time to fully commit.

You have the ability to do that comes from seeing yourself as a full-fledged professional entrepreneur… and not just a woman who’s cruising along. Dive in again!

You are running a business that may become the next Apple or Snuggie or Martha Stewart. You’re not selling lemonade in your driveway for $1 a cup. Consider that when you divide up the time in your day. You have to treat yourself like an established business with many moving parts that all need attention. This is important, because achieving success is important to you. There’s no need to feel guilty about devoting time to getting your company up and running, or running smoothly. You’re not being selfish; you’re being an entrepreneur.

I repeat. You're not being selfish; you're being an entrepreneur.

2. You don’t see yourself as the expert you are

You wouldn’t start a company that you have no interest in or knowledge of. This is your thing. Your interest has led you to spend a lot of time exploring the subject because

A. You love your product/field and personally enjoy using it/immersing yourself in it

Or

B. You had a personal problem that you’re trying to solve for yourself and others with your business idea

You are the expert, and people want to hear more from you!

They want to learn from your experiences, hear the story behind your business, and find out all about the product or service you offer. People love a good origin story, especially if you’ve come up with something truly out of the ordinary. They’ll want to know, “How did you think of that?” and you, as the captain of the whole operation, will instantly have a rapt audience. No one knows the company as well as you, which makes you the ultimate expert. Know that, and step confidently into the role.

Tweet: 5 Mistakes You Are Making As A Creative Entrepreneur http://ctt.ec/cWk6d+ #entrepreneur #femaleentrepreneur via @ashleighblatt

3. You have the wrong attitude about self-promotion

Everyone around you is a potential customer, and every interaction can be a marketing opportunity. It doesn’t make you the pompous, self-centered woman that everyone else starts to avoid at parties and in the grocery store. It makes you a smart businesswoman who knows what she’s doing.

You have to be your own publicist– even if you can afford to hire a PR firm and especially if you can’t. Your genuine passion and depth of knowledge will always translate more powerfully than someone who reads off a script. You’re a marketing asset, so never be shy about what you do. You need to get your name and your company’s name out there.

To start, you want all of your established contacts to know what you’re up to: that you’ve started a business and what it does. That means updating your social media to include news clips, behind-the-scenes type videos, and a permanent link to your website– and updating often. Every post will not reach every follower, so you’re not bombarding people like you might think. People are focused on their own lives, so you have to fight a little bit to grab the spotlight for a few seconds.

But don’t stop there. Reach out to form new relationships, in real life and online. Social media grants you FREE access to millions of people, and you can take advantage even while waiting on line for a coffee. Not everyone will rush to buy your product right away, but you will be the person they think of when they are in the market later on.

4. You’re not using the data that you have right in front of you

Part of treating yourself like a multi-faceted business is investing time and money into data-tracking efforts. OR simply listening to what the others keep telling you! You need a book! You need to be on stage! Sure you may not know how to enter those fields just yet but come on! You have a wealth of people around you would love to help you out!

And if you don't know, girl, there are 1001 ways to see what "your people" are missing from you! For example maybe you’re getting a lot of likes, but how many people are actually persuaded to click on your website? What do they do once they’re on your page, and how long until they lose interest and leave? You don’t want to blindly spend money on promoted tweets or sidebar ads– you want hard numbers that indicate which type of paid advertising is being clicked on the most and focus there.

Data is the most reliable advice you’ll come across. It is proof of what has worked for other similar businesses, and pinpoints consumer needs and trends in every demographic. Stop guessing and wasting time. You know your field, industry and your company. If not - then really - take 30 minutes and start digging! The most successful and most profitable companies got that way from utilizing data.

5. You’re trying to be a one man show

Entrepreneurs make it because they have the skills and personality for business without needing to rely on a corporation, but no one makes it big completely on their own. You need someone who can help you grow your business and support you in the process. You’re an expert, but an expert in your field. You have enough on your plate without trying to take care of all aspects of your company on your own.

I know that you don’t want to pay for full time staff salaries, so hire only the most essential positions that your business requires daily to stay afloat. Leave other positions on an as-needed basis. For example, you probably don’t need a full-time IT team, even if your business is entirely online. Pay for the help you need, and don’t be afraid to acknowledge that yes, you do need it. Of the Essentials to hire are: advisors and managers to help with strategy and planning, assistants to do the time busting work, and of course the technical experts.

It is beyond fun to work with creatives who are masters of their craft. It is beyond fun for everyone involved to expand horizons, expand brand and yes, revenue streams too!

"There was so much work that needed to be done it was overwhelming. We had a hard time getting things done.  Now, we have 2 courses that are selling, signed partnership agreements, will be doing a speaking tour and have a book coming out next year.  It's unbelievably exciting!" - Beloved Reality Star

"We wanted to tap in to a new market and needed to know how the others were so successful.  I don't understand how Ashleigh knows so much.  Now we have hired designers and manufacturers, have 2 stores opening and have our website up and running. I carry Ashleigh's recommendations with me everyday." -International London-based Guru

Click here to sign up for my Make Room for Revenue 8 Step Checklist.  You don't have to be 1 thing.  Not at this stage.  Not anymore.

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We all know the potential to grow, create, and draw in multiple streams of income from an online business is unparalleled.  No one has to tell us of the awesome opportunities here.  As an Online Business Manager, I don't just empower women, I share actionable line items for your success. Discover the 5 Myths that most mompreneurs fall victim to and see if you're one of them.

Here’s the craziest thing that is missing in today’s fast-paced online business world.  

Traditional business thinking. 

Say, what??
I’m old school.  I'll admit it.  

Traditional business thinking is what missing from today’s fast-paced, everyone-everything digital world.  

Traditionally, in business, you did something to make money.  Hobbies and habits came later.  Passion was reserved when you were out of work.  

Forget finding your passion.  Put passion into your work and knock your work out of the park.  

Remember the traditional business practice: Cash is king. 

If the revenues aren’t where you want them to be.  Expand.  Change.  Alter.  

Partner.

Ping. 

Promote.  

Sure, you have your business and it’s generating revenue but you are still often thinking - what the heck?! - how are the others kicking butt as they do??

Your end goal is to use your business to start generating multiple streams of income. (yes multiple)

Do not let any of these myths block you from finding success:

Myth #1: Page views and followers = cold, hard cash

I know how it feels to look at a social media account and see that “k” next to a number. It’s even more impressive when that “k” becomes an “m”… as in 1.4m followers, or 286k followers. While that looks nice and is an ego boost, that is actually sort of low on the priority list. How many views your page receives and the number of followers you have are vanity statistics. Websites don’t send you a check based on your popularity. 

What actually matters is your engagement, meaning the percentage of people who are actually commenting, sharing, liking, and buying your product. BUYING YOUR PRODUCT.  It’s better to have a less ‘impressive’ follower count and to be making sales and connections than to have a million people who scroll past you. 

If your sales are in the red, this does nothing for you.  Sure it’s an ego boost but aside from that, it does nothing.  You need to transfer your following (no matter how large or small) in to revenue-generating.  

Remember cash is king. 

Myth #2: Being featured on another website or podcast will immediately bring in sales

Wouldn’t that be nice if all connections lead to sales?? 

It’s funny because I have a podcast and a blog.  I am on other podcasts and blogs too.  Generating these new sets of eyes, yes!, is a great way to expand your network.  It’s a great way to meet new people, make friends and work towards future collaborations.  

What’s missing in these conversations all. the. time?  

What is the purpose of you being on a podcast? 

What’s the purpose for you being on this podcast?  

Even when you are “just” sharing your story - you have to have an end goal in mind.  You have to have your end goal in mind.

I don’t mean to sound heartless and too much like a hustler but the truth remains, just putting yourself out there is not good enough anymore. 

You have to have a reason and a purpose behind it.  Drive people to you.  To working with you.

Myth #3: You have to do one thing

It’s unbelievable to me how many missed opportunities is happening everyday. It’s one thing to focus on your core business.  I get that.  You need to have a base and your house needs to be in order.  

I get that.  You have to have some foundational pieces in place.  

And then guess what.  You need to just start.  

Does Starbucks only sell coffee?  No.  They sell you coffee, CDs, pastries, ornaments galore!

Nordstroms was a shoe store.  Amazon sold books.  Apple had a computer.  

Everyday they are improving their business. 

Everyday you can too.  Expand. 

Where oh where can you expand?

Partnerships, affiliates, events - oh my!

Products, courses, clients - hooray!

Don’t let your one thing limit you from exploring other opportunities. 

You’re a multi-faceted, complicated woman with more than one interest and talent. Let these fuel you into other opportunities and pump up your income.

Myth #4: You have to do only online work

If you think that online businesses are only for work that can be done through ethernet cords, you’re limiting yourself again! 

Think of your website as your storefront. It should be an inviting place for people to stop in, peruse, book, and buy. 

What they’re buying, however, doesn’t have to be something made and transferred on the computer. 

I have a friend who is a carpenter– perhaps the most hands-on, least online type of work around. He started an online business that offers both traditional carpentry services and made-to-order craftsman woodwork. Customers browse his handmade pieces, put in requests, and book his time for things like cabinet consultations. 

Online businesses aren’t just about blogs and tech work.   

What revenue streams can you create if you included a local opportunity?  What and how would it look like if you had a partner-in-crime to work with on a special project?  There are all sorts of ways to generate multiple streams of income. How could you partner with your beloved lunch spot for a cool local event? 

Myth #5: You have all the time in the world to start

The landscape of online businesses is always evolving.  Two years ago would you have ever guessed where you are today?  Could you have planned that out?  Guessed that this was how things would unfold for you?? 

No.  

Me either.  

But how did you get here, where you are today?

What did you do then?  

You started.  You went for it.  

Now is the time to go for it again.  

Just start. 

Build.  Grow.  Add.  

Remember your traditional business senses.  Cash is king.  

That shouldn’t scare you or deter you from pushing your business further.  Rather it should propel you and energize you into new thoughts, new fields and of course, new revenue streams! 

Focus on generating revenue and making your business (product + service quality) top notch, because the rest is all vanity. And vanity doesn’t pay for vacations, rent, or even the babysitter. 

Conclusion - it's not as hard as it seems.  Grab the 8 Steps Checklist on how to Make Room for Revenue.  

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Your business is going to hit some snags. No one who has built a business will tell you that success is a smooth, effortless glide to the top– and neither will I. There will be moments when you wish you had a boss to shift blame onto, or rely on to hoist everything back on track… but what fun is that? 

You know you’re starting to lose momentum, and this checklist will help you figure out which are the weak links in your process. When you’re frustrated and want to just throw your hands up and scream, go ahead and do it. Get it all out. But then assess where the holes in your raft are. I’ll help you plug them. 

1. You can’t say no.

We don’t like to hear it, and we don’t like to say it– especially to the people whose business, expertise, or support we depend on. Guess what? It’s part of the entrepreneur, leadership role package. Maybe you didn’t notice it in the fine print when you had a business idea and signed up to be an ambitious go-getter, but it was definitely there. And no matter what your fears are, no one is going to hate you for having the strength to say it. In fact, they’re going to respect you. If a client is always asking to reschedule, it gets to a point where you need to say no. That’s not impatient, it says that you value your time and have important things to do with it. 

2. You worry about what people think

This is such a tough one, because who is actually immune to the judgments, comments, praise, or shady side-eye glances of others? Even celebrities admit that all of that white noise gets to them! The point is to not indulge the voices or seek them out. Don’t invite the opinions of those people that you don’t respect or who may try to purposely hurt you. Even when working with consultants, take every nugget of advice with a grain of salt because ultimately, it’s your opinion that matters most. It’s all a distraction from progress, so worry more about your goals than what people will say when you achieve them.

3. You are too wrapped up in the work

You set your own hours, but do you always know when to call it quits for the day? When I feel like I’m not getting enough done, my automatic instinct is well, okay, I just need to work until I get a lot done. That plan works fine until… I’m too exhausted to continue, my family and social life suffers, I get resentful of the work and lose interest, etc. I truly believe it is better to limit your hours and spend all of that time working diligently than blocking off weeks at a time for strictly work purposes and spending half of them on Buzzfeed or dusting your keyboard. 

4. You need it to be perfect

Your name is going on it, so you want to take pride in the finished product. Understandable. Commendable, also. But running yourself ragged to make something absolutely perfect may be a waste of resources and energy. As an entrepreneur, you need to be able to do at least one thing really, really well– better than your competitors– and consistently. It’s this simple truth that birthed the industrial revolution! Machines could produce quality items much quicker and cheaper than master craftsmen slaving over one item for weeks and weeks, only to sell at a much higher markup. To make money, you need to produce often and, ideally, for a growing client base. 

5. You say yes too many times to your customers

The customer is always right, but are they right to be so demanding? You need them, and you hope that they need you and whatever you’re peddling… but you are a business and not their personal magic genie. Even still, genies only grant three wishes so I hear. Nurture your customer base, but don’t be entirely at their beck and call to the point where it’s taking time away from your work. 

6. You don’t know how to delegate

Your business is your baby. I know how hard it is to put your trust in a babysitter the first couple times, but gosh does it feel good to go to dinner sans diaper bag! You need to let go. You’re the boss and the brains, so stop wasting your time on the little things! Take on some help, even if it’s just part-time or intern-based. Let someone else answer the phone and respond to emails. You can’t push ahead if you’re too busy just trying to stay afloat. 

7. You have your hands and thoughts in every little action

If you’re intent on doing everything yourself, and find yourself worried and anxious when you finally do let someone else take over… chances are, you haven’t delegated to the right person. You need to hire a staff that you trust, or at least one person whom you feel truly grasps your intentions for the business. It’s a process, just like dating, but it pays off. 

8. You answer every email

It amazes me how many random companies and people make their way into my inbox. From persistent sales reps to people pretending not to be selling something (EVERYONE is selling something!) I just don’t have time to read through everything, let alone respond. For people you actually want to hear from, try giving them a keyword or phrase to put in the subject line. For example, when I give my email address out to someone I would like to interview, I tell them to make the subject line say PODCAST INTERVIEW and their name so that it immediately jumps out and can be found with a quick inbox search. 

9. You are easily distractible 

We immediately want to blame iPhones and cute puppy videos on Facebook for getting distracted, but getting distracted is much broader than social media. Making yourself too available to social invites or new business ideas can slow you down even more than constantly updating your Twitter. Write out a mission statement for your business and put in words what you actually hope to accomplish. I know an entrepreneur that wanted to start a website, and before it was even really off the ground, was already setting meetings to go into TV and radio. Don’t let shiny offers lead you astray before you’ve even finished your first project. Commit to your business and your original intentions with an iron-clad focus. 

10. You don’t work on what you need to focus on

There’s always something to be done, business related and otherwise. Some of these tasks will of course be quicker and easier than others, which is usually an indicator that they’re also less important. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize! And then stick to that list! Think of it this way: a giant boulder takes more effort to push down a hill, but it will have more momentum than casting a bunch of tiny stones down the same hill. We want momentum! Real, quality momentum. 

11. You continuously want more from everyone else

Here is some hard truth: expecting too much from people will lead to disappointment. You can absolutely want others to help and support you, but it is so unbelievably rare to find people who will want to work as hard as you for the things you want. Be reasonable in your expectations of others. Putting stock in the unwavering commitment of others is a bad investment. 

12. You jump on the new bandwagon

Trends are tricky. If you’re the one setting them, it’s like striking gold. Joining in once a fad has already begun makes me a little nervous. Here’s why: I like things to be time-tested and proven. I prefer to read about other people’s risks paying off, or not, than to see my own name in the headline. I have worked hard for what I have. As Bruce Springsteen sings in “Because the Night,” 

What I got, I have earned. What I’m not, baby I have learned.

Jumping on the bandwagon of some new idea or business venture is a gamble. Chances are, the person who started the trend is the one who will cash in. Be hesitant of over-glorified options that seem to poof! out of nowhere. Let someone else discover the inevitable pitfalls. It’s better to be inspired by new trends and build off of them to better your company than to follow someone else’s lead completely. 

13. You watch TV

Everyone does. But not everyone runs a business. If your momentum is dipping, ask yourself if you’re keeping up with the Kardashians more than you’re keeping up with your business. I love a good binge-watch, but find I’m much more productive when I limit myself to one episode a day. It comes down to time ladies! Be choosy. 

14. You eat like hell

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but that doesn’t include apple fritters or Apple Jax. I’ll even go out on a limb here and say we should think twice about our coffee choices. All of the little ‘quick-fix, I’ll just go to a drive-thru’ meals take a toll. You don’t need a PhD to research what foods promote energy and brain health. I was so pleasantly surprised to find I could replace my triple-shot macchiato with a chia seed kombucha (and save myself $2) without compromising on my necessary morning energy boost. The littlest switches can make the biggest difference in your energy and work performance. 

15. You don’t sleep enough

I am a truly frightening person when I don’t get enough sleep. Of course, even “enough” sleep (8 hours) never really feels like enough. The health consequences for sleep deprivation are even worse than my crankiness, and much more serious. Your memory, concentration, appearance, and personality all suffer when you burn the candle at both ends and sleep for only a few hours a night. It’s a lot harder now to shrug off an all-nighter than it was in college.

16. You only work

Just ask Jack Torrance. If you haven’t seen The Shining, spoiler alert: all work and no play does not work out for him or anyone within a half mile radius. Your work should be your passion, not your life sentence. You work so hard so that you can have a beautiful life to enjoy when you leave the office. Spending too much time doing only work evaporates any sense of urgency. Knowing that you have a fun activity planned for 7pm makes you fired up to get sh*t done so that you can make it there on time. You need diversity in your schedule. 

17. Your workspace is lacking

Your workspace is crucial for productivity and feeling good while getting stuff done. It should be your absolute sanctuary… somewhere you don’t dread going to, with a vibe that matches your personality and business. I know an executive in the publishing business who spends most of his day reading and thus has a loft office that resembles a library. Because of this, he takes all of his meetings to a restaurant two blocks away instead of having people drop in and out, disturbing the serenity of the place. There is a feature in this month’s Marie Claire (with Nicki Minaj on the cover) that showcases hot new jewelry designer Kendra Scott’s recent office remodeling. It is a stunning dream office with a mani pedi salon included, but what I found most interesting is that her desk is in the shape of a precious gem. Her workspace not only nurtures her employees and makes them feel welcome and cared for, but the design is geared to inspire and provoke new business ideas. Total #goals .

18. Anxiety is getting in the way

A common complaint I hear nowadays is social anxiety slowing people down. Networking events and meeting with investors don’t go so well when you were up all night in a cold sweat over presenting yourself and your business to established, intimidating new people. Some people have anxiety about traveling by plane for work, or even sending emails. There’s no judgment here, but you have to let your determination to succeed overpower your anxieties. Come up with a mantra to repeat to yourself about how powerful you are, how you trust in yourself, and will not be defeated by the hypotheticals swirling in your psyche. Put a lavender oil diffuser in your workspace and breathe deeply. 

19. You’re not marketing

A business needs customers, and customers have to hear about the business to know it even exists. I know that you probably don’t have money to throw around, but advertisingis crucial. Even social media is a pay-to-play game. If you really believe in your business, it will be worth it to make a marketing budget to get your website seen. Of the millions of people out there, someone will want to hear what you have to say. They just might not be able to find you yet. There are some guerrilla marketing strategies that don’t cost anything… like researching online forums and communities that would be interested in your business. On the other end, there are large, professional marketing firms that will do it all for you…for a price. You just need to make sure you’re being seen.

20. You don’t say thank you

With so much big business competition, you want to make sure your customers and employees feel a difference when choosing the little guy (you). Back in the day, I worked as a hostess for a small, locally owned restaurant that opened at the same time as a major chain located directly across the river. My boss insisted that I memorize our customer’s names, preferred seating areas, and thanked them profusely for stopping in, even if they were just looking around. I still remember our customers’ appreciation for these little differences that we implemented. People want to feel valued. Many want to know that their money is going to a deserving entity… or at least a kind one. 

21. You don’t have a set goal

Your business has to have a trajectory in mind. Where are you going with this? What do you hope to accomplish short term and long term? You need to be clear on what you’re working toward, or it is guaranteed that your progress will decline. Breaking your goals into benchmarks can help give your overall dream some plausibility. This week work on crawling. Next month work on walking. By six months figure out how to run, and then work on flying. 

22. You’re not managing your money

Most businesses fail within the first five years. They have either lost their seed money, the excitement-fueled drive of owning a new company, or both. It is definitely discouraging to see your business bank account dwindle, but that is not the time to panic. That is when you need to work your hardest and innovate. There may be times when you, as owner, will not be able to take a paycheck. Owning a business is not always glamorous. Extra cash should be thought of as a way to boost your company further, otherwise you’ll be in the red with a lot of red-bottomed heels and no business to wear them to. 

23. You’re ignoring the victories

The biggest way for a business to lose momentum is for its team to feel like they’re just spinning their wheels. Why work hard for a business that is seemingly going nowhere? I’ve done it, and trust me, even the paycheck stops being worth it after awhile. No one wants to feel like they’re wasting their time. To avoid this, point out the progress and achievements that you and your team have made to boost morale. Even if you have to start really small at first and look realllly closely, there are good things that have happened and victories that should be celebrated. Give yourself and your employees a pat on the back; it will go a long way. 

24. You’re not innovating

Business is hard in a capitalist society. There will always be competition springing up with new ideas to steal your spotlight. You will steal the spotlight, and you will need to fight to remain in it. That means keeping up with recent innovations and always being willing to learn. You might’ve been the best at what you do 5 years ago, but it will never hurt to brush up on your skills– from managing to learning the new Photoshop or Microsoft Office programs. Read everything you can! Attend talks with industry leaders. Never stop learning!

25. You don’t have the right support

Even if you run a one-woman operation, no one can truly go it alone. Emotionally, you need the support of your family and friends to keep you sane and remind you that yes, you can do it! You need the right financial backing, from people who won’t hold it over your head or legitimate banks that (hopefully) have a decent interest rate. And you also need good employee support, from people who believe in your business and not just your hourly rate. 

Are you shaking your head?? That's a lot to digest right?  

Where to begin? 

Okay, it's not so bad.  I promise you.  A few tweaks here, a few tweaks there and you're back in business.  You back with opportunity and momentum on your side.  

I promise you.  

I have only 2 spots left open for 2017.  Click here to secure your spot and start generating revenue from multiple spots!

Balancing work and family is no easy task. As women, we are expected to give 100% to everything and everyone, all the time. If you're not taking care of yourself, you're going to burn out pretty quickly.

“The struggle between work and family is not new. It is one of the most common causes of stress in working adults. More often than not, they are unable to find the golden balance between both. Given different circumstances, there is always a time when either family or work takes priority.”

These are the words of Rosette Obedoza, a blogger, entrepreneur, mother, and the loving wife of a military man. When asked about how difficult balancing work and family can be, she says     “…really stress is an understatement when women are the subjects, or much better let’s just say victims. The tussle is often associated with dysfunctional outcomes including poor physical and mental health, ineptitude at work, and strained family relationships among many other upshots.”

Laura Probert of Huffington Post says "If your expectation is that you must work harder and do more to get what you want, you will have to work harder and do more, which will lead to burn out."  And she's absolutely right!

Now Rosette and Laura are women we can both give the tag “badass mompreneurs”, of course in their own different and little ways. And here’s a list of the things that help define their success stories.

1.     Talk With Your Family

The first thing Rosette speaks of is open communication between yourself, boss at the office and of course the people you love back at home, your family. Listen: “Often I thought I did not need my husband and child to solve my work versus family concerns but I was wrong. So I decided to try and the more I did, the more I realized there is no way to get things done right if you only rely on what you know. For me, this is magical. I think that if you can make your entire family know about your obligations both at home and at work then they can be more understanding. The other bit is your boss. If s/he can understand a little more about you, certainly you hit the first step to a healthy lifestyle.

2.     Respect Your Priorities

If possible, get very clear as to how much time you need off and the impact it bears on your fee. Priority is the other thing. And it is one we know too well. We have stickers all over or don’t we? And in them we have our day’s schedule. So what really is the problem? Well, it happens not all of us respect our schedules and priority lists and yet we need this to be successful mompreneurs!

Sarah Krieger, a mother of three and dietitian in St. Petersburg, Florida says her priority list is a combination of things to be done over the week including; children stuff, business and personal needs. At the end of the day she ensures all is done in good time. Alice Garbarini, a freelancer in New Jersey on the other hand says her to do list is only complete with both work and fun slotted.

The one significance of making a to do list is that we are able to think well and make appropriate decisions before we act; with it you will be able to act on issues much proactively than reactively         

3.     Create Time For Sleep

According to a recent post by Daily Mail, lack of sleep is damaging mothers’ lives. It affects the productivity of close to 82 percent of working moms, makes some 55 percent of them vexed with their babies, and about 70 percent off sex. Perhaps you’re part of the statistics but you want out. It’s simple, create time for yourself either during the day or at night and get a nap. It’s important.

The fact of the matter is that in the short term, good sleep will help improve your ability to learn and retain information, your mood during the day, and your judgment both at home and at work while also helping you avoid little misfortunes, could be errors in the office or knife cut at home.  

This in essence will not only make you more efficient but also more productive, not to forget that in the long term a good 6-8 hour sleep guarantees a healthy lifestyle.

4.     Set and maintain time for Routine Exercise

There’s a physical, mental, spiritual and energetic toll taken from you whenever you work, birth, work and raise children. The toll is huge for any one of these things. Combine them and you’ve got a sure-fire recipe for burn out. The only way other than sleep to recharge your batteries is to formulate a simple exercise routine you can maintain. For more fun, get your partner to try it too.       

5.     Make Easier Mornings

Still at home, try not to get yourself worked out in the morning by making relevant preparations for the day the night before. Pack the kid’s lunches, lay out their clothes, and have them shower. You can also decide what to make for breakfast, repack the diaper bag, purses, backpacks and or the work bags to be placed by the door, alongside the keys so you can grab them on the way out. The importance of a light morning is that you leave to work with enough energy and good mood.  

6.     Seek Help Where Necessary  

Now if you are working 60 or more hours a week, there’s the alert. Even though you still manage to keep together a family despite all the work, you need help. And this again is what Laura speaks of, the expectations we have as women. The society expects us to be 100 percent mothers, wives, and still get a similar score at work.  Yet, how are we supposed to do that?! According to Rosette, one day you’ll be 100 percent mother less other expectations while other days you’ll be 100 percent other responsibilities less a mother. In the end, for a healthy lifestyle, it is only mature to admit there are times you need to be assisted. It's all about balancing work and family. So don’t waste a lot time listening to those saying you are lazy.  Some of my favorite resources are Amazon's Prime and Prime Now.  And of course I love Freelancer.com to help out with all sorts of odds and ends!

7.     Let Go of Negative Energy

It’s hard to please everyone, in fact, it’s impossible. Sometimes you’ll hear things; good and bad, if not how you’re not doing this right then it’s how you’re doing that wrong, sometimes from the extended family, sometimes from colleagues at work. This is part of life. Quite a normal thing in the life of both gender, but more especially for working moms so expect it and don’t allow it in.

According to Chris Talambas of Lifehack.com, negativity affects ourselves and everyone around us. It limits our potential to become great and to live a fulfilling life. Also it has a tangible effect on our health. Now, when we let it go, positivity comes in and then we begin to encounter other situations and people with more similar attitude and thus we begin to live happy and healthy lifestyles.

I am not shy about telling you how much I love this guided meditation.   It focuses my thoughts and efforts and shows me how to forgive myself for my failings (and there can be many!

8.     Listen to Your Body

Unfortunately what needs to be done can be so overbearing that we lose ourselves in it and fail to listen to our bodies. Laura tried to do it all and when she pushed herself harder, the body jammed then she realized you don’t have to sacrifice yourself in the process, you can do it all yes but save yourself; tomorrow needs you. She says, If you feel that you are really tired, run down or a little achy and that you need a vacation — take it because this isn’t a should, it’s a must for self

9.     Let Loose At Times

In Texas, a group of working women (bankers, nurses, and doctors) often let loose by organizing a roller derby. This is a game in which the members of Texas Derby Divas often laced in skates’ takes down local opponents of similarly organized groups and that’s it for them. Kerri Gathright, a member of the divas team says skating is her outlet, that if she’s often in a bad mood whenever she doesn’t go out. Like her Carrie Dopoma, who’s a flower mound mother of two often goes out and for her it’s another role with an added tag, ‘Baroness Von Booty’. She says, “I’m one person at home and a different one on the track. Well, like these diva moms, at times you can go out and let go. Like sleep, letting loose will help you become more productive by improving your mood thus keeping you on the pathway to a healthy lifestyle.       

10.  Celebrate Little Successes

Finally, there are so many ways celebrating little successes in our lives matter. Whether this is a promotion at work, beating a deadline, completing a task/project or just getting a good feedback from your manager, it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate success, however little. See, the whole point of putting in all that effort - working longer hours than normal and really stretching yourself to getting both done right is so you can enjoy the satisfaction of attainment. Otherwise, you’ll be robbing yourself the feeling and sending the message that really your efforts don’t need to be recognized. When we celebrate, we get ourselves ready for the next big job, project or goal.

Briefly, other ways to work and live a healthy lifestyle includes finding quality childcare,  having some “you-time”, staying connected with your partner and other family members during the day, creating special family bonding sessions whenever time allows and finding the balance as well as setting boundaries between work and family, not to leave out creating more time for your partner.

Which of these working mom tips are you committed to implementing? Let me know in the comments below!

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Between servicing clients, attracting clients, taking care of the home, the kids, the laundry, the dishes, the dog, the homework on and on and on and on I go, OH MAN life is full.  It's not easy balancing work and family. If you're going to keep your sanity, something has to give.

Oh man - my life is full. 

Yeah, yeah I am grateful and blessed and sooo thankful for all of the things I have in my life but

OH MAN, my life is full.  

Between servicing my clients, attracting new clients, taking care of my home, my kids, the laundry, the dishes, the dog, the homework on and on and on and on I go, OH MAN my life is full. 

And I know I am not alone with this one.  

This past year I declared it as the "THIS IS MY YEAR" year and I'm not going to lie.  As good as it has been, it's been tough too. 

I have my eyeballs filled to brims with commitments.  

And then I just broke. 

I am not going to Costco every week. 

I am not going to the grocery store every day. 

I am not doing laundry all the time.  The girls have enough clothes that, yes, that can pile up and they can wear what they don't wear.  (SHOCKING, I know.)

There is no need for me run around and bust my butt for these silly things.  

I don't want to be in the grocery store every day.  

And when I started to say NO, guess what happened.  I didn't need to do these things that often anyway.  

Guess what.  We survived not going to Costco.  We have eaten pretty fine without me stopping in the Grocery store every day.  

We are just fine.  Actually, we are doing great.  

And then I was talking with others and they needed to say no too.  So I created a list.  You can print it.  You can print your favorites only.  You can take one or two a day.  

You can say NO without feeling like a jerk and get control back. 

You've got this.

As moms, we experience days when we're severely lacking in sleep, the house is a disaster, and some disgusting smell is lingering from the kitchen. It's especially difficult when you work from home and find that your office has fallen into a black hole. So how can you re-focus on what's important and maximize your time?

This post may contain affiliate links.

By Ty Schmidt

It’s one thing for us to embrace the concept of cherishing the little things and living in the moment.

It’s something else entirely when you have one of those days. You know the ones – the days that are etched vividly on your memory despite you wishing with all your heart they weren’t.

Especially as moms there are the days when you haven’t slept (or showered) since sometime last week and you watch in horror as your house (which, for me, is also my workplace as a work-from-home-mom) just morphed into something that would evoke nightmares in the minds of nannies and maids everywhere.

The days when canned goods from the pantry are scattered in every room of the house, and when you smell like a mixture of sweat, some sort of baby food goop and a diaper you changed only a few minutes (or maybe it was an hour) prior.

The days when glass was just shattered all over the floor and the garbage was tipped on its side and you think your beloved dog just ate what was left of a chocolate chip granola bar (doesn’t chocolate kill dogs?).

Those are the moments when living in the moment seems about as plausible as finally figuring out how to convince Starbucks to deliver a skinny vanilla latte to your doorstep.

Meditation Means Focusing

There are those moments we could all afford to just pause. To take a breath. To live in the moment.  We need a moment to focus.

Meditation is a great tool to help you learn to embrace these moments and live a more balanced life. I know what you’re thinking? What working mom or mompreneur has time for this?  I know it sounds impossible and that you’re too busy and all that glass you need to pick up before the barefooted children cut up their feet is desperately calling your name.

Who has time to sit down and empty their mind?  But that's not what meditation means.  It is not emptying your mind, it's focusing your mind.

But experts say that is where meditation practices are at their strongest. That is when taking five to 20 minutes to try guided meditation can really make a difference for you, by helping you learn to gain control over those chaotic moments. By helping you remember to breathe.

An overlooked tool to a healthier, happier you

One example I have personally found helpful is from Dr. Joe Dispenza’s “Change from the Inside Out” series.

The “Morning & Evening Meditations” download offers listeners the chance to get to know themselves better, and ultimately notice positive changes to their mental and physical health.

Available for download or on CD, the series begins by getting you in the right mindset to tackle the day and ends with a relaxing opportunity to ease your mind and body into restful sleep.

“It all sounds so simple but it can be really hard,” said Diane Sutrick, a mompreneur of three adult children who owns Peace Yoga Studio in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wis. and has been practicing yoga and meditation for more than 10 years. “In a world where our culture does so many things that are bad for the body and embraces multi-tasking like it’s the best thing in the world, we are losing ourselves and the ability to find balance.”

Meditation means teaching your body to heal

Research shows that meditation, which is a practice that helps calm yourself by quieting your mind, has many physical and mental health benefits that can aid in dealing with stress and anxiety, but also help keep you more focused and present in your daily life.

“I know the struggle for a lot of people is time – there is never enough time,” said Sutrick, who opened her yoga studio about five years ago. “Yet it is in learning to get into the moment and teaching your body how to flip the switch from using the sympathetic nervous system to using the parasympathetic nervous system that we train our body to get the rest and relaxation it craves.”

The ability to fully relax doesn’t come easy to everyone, despite the health benefits research points to in favor of taking some time to regularly reboot.

While cynics and skeptics alike may question the impact meditation can have on one’s daily life, finding a way to maintain balance by whatever means necessary sounds pretty good to a work-from-home-mom like me who all too often puts literally everything and everyone else ahead of simple things (like that yoga I’ve been meaning to pick back up for the last seven years).

Meditation means thinking about yourself and others

It sounded pretty good to Sutrick as well, which is among the reasons she wanted to find a way to help others find peace.

“I’m not an expert meditator by any means, but I am an advocate for moms who I support as they carve out the time to do something for themselves that ultimately benefits the whole family,” she said. “It’s easier for some people than it is for others, for a whole host of reasons, but meditation pairs with yoga to help you find a place to be quiet with yourself and reflect…and find your center.”

Despite the cliché that all moms live in yoga pants, not all who wear yoga actually practice yoga.

“Ultimately all that matters is that you are finding time to think, breathe and simply be in the moment,” Sutrick said. “You can meditate any time – it doesn’t have to be in a class or at yoga or what have you – in fact, it’s almost a sign you’ve learned the practice well when you can apply it to your everyday life.”

Meanwhile, doubters of the practice will try to make the case that busy people (i.e. mompreneurs on fire) don’t have time to get into lotus pose and clear their minds. Believers like Sutrick have these words of advice for them.

1. The benefits of meditation are endless. Meditation is considered a highly effective relaxation technique, and relaxation is linked to a number of proven health benefits. Less stress means a healthier immune system more capable of fighting off all those germs kids are prone to bringing home, helps keep you focused and aids in retaining memory and decision making.

2. Meditation can happen anywhere. Whether you’re wearing yoga pants or not, you can meditate almost anywhere at almost any time to help refocus, clear your mind and be present in the moment.

3. Time is of the essence. Meditation is a practice that helps you let go of the past, live in the present and be ready for tomorrow all at the same time. By clearing your mind and learning to simply be, you are more capable of finding peace amid the chaos.

Because let’s face it. The life can be tough. And not just ‘oh my goodness, I miss happy hour and mani-pedis with the girlfriends tough.

It can mean admitting that yes, you’re having one of those days when you haven’t slept more than an hour or two in the last 72 hours and you can’t keep up with the mess and you really kind of just want to drink an entire bottle of wine when no one’s looking (because that won’t give you a headache or make waking up and doing it all again tomorrow that much more trying).

Maybe we should all just try meditating instead.

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Still Thinking About It?  Here are some other great resources! 

• Changing Beliefs and Perceptions Meditation
• A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength Wisdom & Courage in Any Moment
• The UnTethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself - (Note: At last look this was on sale for $5!)
• Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program

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A stressed mind isn’t receptive to the flow of creative thoughts– thoughts which may stem into new business ideas or solutions for your current company. Even if you feel that you work best under pressure, that’s a talent that has its limits as well. Constant pressure without release is the makings of a burn out or blow out, and a boss lady CEO has time for neither. 

Entrepreneurs have a special drive and motivation. It’s the reason you couldn’t settle for an uninspiring career path, and why you’re working toward those big ideas that keep you up at night. It’s a blessing, but it can also eat up your free time– if you even have any of that left.

Most entrepreneurs put in much more than the 40 hours of a standard work week, so we know you don’t have a problem committing to the grunt work, but how often do you make time to simply do nothing?

Seem counterintuitive to growing a business? Think again.

Instead of waiting for that one straw to break your back and delay your progress, build some “me time” into your week to offset the stress of mompreneur life and take care of yourself. In this industry, an investment in yourself is an investment in your business. I know you’re busy, but here are 5 easy ways to take care of yourself that every mompreneur can make time for.

1.      Exercise

Not all of us are the type to set a 5am alarm to head over to the gym for a few hours, and we don’t have to be. To reap the benefits of exercise, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America says a little goes a long way. According to their research, “even five minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects.” That means even a quick game of backyard tag with your kids could bring on the calm you need to breeze through your 9am conference call with investors.

 What’s more? Do this regularly and the benefits extend even further, from reduced tension levels to better sleep, self esteem, and overall mood. In other words, you should probably be able to add a gym membership or a new pair of Nike’s to your expense write-off’s, considering how powerfully beneficial exercise is to your business.

If heading to the gym isn’t your style, consider taking your dog or kids for a brisk walk each night after dinner, swimming laps in your pool (if you have one), or following a 30-minute Youtube workout tutorial in the comfort of your living room.

2. Establish your own #TreatYourselfTuesday

Okay so maybe you need to bump it back to Wednesday– you’re a busy gal, after all. Whichever day of the week works best for you, decide to treat yourself to that one item, service, or guilty pleasure that would really brighten your week. You don’t have to wait until your empire is built to celebrate all of your accomplishments thus far.

For me, it’s the 45 minutes I set aside for the blow dry bar on Sunday mornings. Before the chaos of Monday morning sets in, I indulge in a complimentary mimosa and set myself up with good hair for the rest of the week (thank you dry shampoo). Sometimes I flip through magazines, sometimes I watch whichever rom-com is being screened in the salon that day, and on busier weeks I will answer emails or jot down notes and ideas in my planner.

 For you, treating yourself might mean splurging on steak instead of chicken, getting the gel manicure instead of a regular one, or finally giving in to that super-soft leather purse you always walk by that never goes on sale. Whatever it is, let this be something for you and you alone. Running a business and a household is a lot of doing for others. It’s not selfish to set aside some time for personal enjoyment on a consistent basis. You need to feel confident in all aspects of life.

3. Sleep

Being exhausted is a special kind of torture. One of the most important ways to take care of yourself is avoiding that sluggish feeling altogether and getting better sleep more often. For many of us, sleeping in late is just not in the cards, so I approach it from the other side: by going to sleep earlier when possible. To snatch up some extra snooze time, try to go to sleep an hour earlier than usual or more if you can manage it.

Even if a full 8 hours isn’t possible, you can still improve the quality of the sleep that you do get. Sleep with your phone on silent mode, or remove it from your bedroom completely and let it charge in a separate room. You might be waking up more often throughout the night knowing that your phone is right there beside you, just waiting for you to check what texts and emails have come through.

If you really want to pamper yourself, try these quick fixes for your sleep space:

•   Take a shower or bath right before bed. Use lavender or chamomile scented shower gels or moisturizer post-shower to help bring you into a restful state.

•   Put fresh sheets and pillow cases on your bed.

•   Shut your shades and block out all sources of light, which inhibit the body from entering into those coveted deep sleep cycles.

•   Turn on your air conditioning or fan to ensure your room stays cool all night long.

•   Try an essential oil diffuser to keep you calm and relaxed. They run about $30 online and in home goods stores.

4. Girls’ Night Out

Because sometimes you need to step away from your role as commander in chief and just be one of the girls.

It will do you wonders to change out of your work mode/mommy attire and put on those heels you worked so hard to afford. You love your family dearly, but we all know there are some topics that you can’t talk to your partner or children about. Vent to your friends like the unpaid therapists they are, and get out of your own bubble by hearing about their own dilemmas and triumphs. The best part is you don’t even have to go anywhere if getting all dolled up doesn’t appeal to you this week. If one of you has a quiet house for the night, sit around in cozy clothes, sip wine, and reconnect over adult coloring books. Now wait. Before you become skeptical, know that this is a real thing. Adult coloring books have become a major hit in the world of trendy relaxation. They’re inexpensive, you can borrow your kids’ crayons, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you mellow out. I’m starting to think that those kindergarten teachers know more than they let on…

5. Kids’ Night In

Kids can sometimes get a bad reputation for causing chaos, but I find that when my world is off-kilter and too hectic, spending time with my kids can really center me. You’ll feel better by giving back to them and alleviating some of that working mommy guilt that can invade your subconscious. Kids really do say the darndest things– things that make you genuinely laugh and forget about your stress. Let your hair down and bounce on the trampoline with them, or get competitive in that new Wii game your son insisted upon at Target. Let me tell you, those little guys really know how to have a good time and they’ll be thrilled to have you join in.

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I can see it coming.  I can see my patience thinning out before my eyes.  My girls want my attention and I just want help.  Or I just want to be left alone.  Or I just want them to play on their own. If you're going to keep your sanity, you need to learn how to balance work and family. Your needs are important.

I see it coming. I lose my patience far more quickly than I wish for.  I yell or raise my voice.  I see my mom in me.  She was tired.  She far more tired than I ever knew.  She would get upset and frustrated.  But I also see, she didn't take care of herself, in the ways we now know we need to.  Times are different now.  

I see my frustration grow as I get more and more tired.  In my heart, I want to soak up the precious time with my girls.  Yet there in the day as we run from one activity to the next, the quality time becomes survival time.  When this happens, when I see that part of my mom in me, that tired part. I know it's happening.  I know I need to make a change.  

Below are a few thoughts on what changes help me.  Maybe they will help you. 

1. Don't Worry About Them. Worry About You. 

I know that's harder said than done but now is the absolute most important time to start thinking about you again.  

Take a deep breath.  

Give yourself a break.  

Give yourself a moment.

Put the cartoons on and leave the room.  

Tell your kids you will be back and to focus on... anything else.

I know I am no good to be around when I am over tired.  This is when I am my most cranky and most frustrated.  This is when I yell.  This is the most important time to take care of myself.  To treat myself.  If I don't take care of myself, I can't do a good job of taking care of the family.  If I don't take care of myself, how are my kids going to learn that they need to take care of themselves too?  If I don't take care of myself, what example am I setting? 

I not only need to survive the day but I really want to thrive in it.  

And that starts at home.

2. Get Rest.

For me, I know I need rest.  I need more and more rest.  Rest is what refreshes my body and soul.  It's amazing how good you can feel with a good night's sleep.  It's that thing that you must fight for.  This is where you make good choices for yourself.  I know I have to go to bed by a certain time to get my ideal amount of sleep in.  There are periods of time when I go to sleep late because we have friends over or I want to spend that extra time with my husband or I have work deadlines coming.  We all have busy seasons and slow seasons.  The point is that with rest, you can manage through the easier.  With rest, you a making a conscious decision to take care of yourself.

As a matter of fact, Arianna Huffington, you know as in THE HUFFINGTON POST,  wrote The Sleep Revolution countering the age old thought that sleep was a time waster.  Where studies show it (lack of proper sleep) hinders our health, growth and even sex lives.  

Here's the other thing, if you are actually going to try any of these recommendations out then let me also add in that you (at least) fall asleep to this evening guided meditation.  It is such a wonderful way to end the day.

The guide, Dr. Joe Dispenza, helps you settle down on the day, reflect on the day, get excited about tomorrow and forgive yourself for the errors in your day.   I started with this twice a day guided meditation at the beginning of the year based on a recommendation by my beloved coach and haven't looked back since.  LOVE LOVE LOVE it.    

3. Move. 

When you move, your body releases energy.  When you move, your body creates endorphins.  Endorphins talk with your brain and tells it to reduce the pain.   When you move you shake off the things that are stuck within your body.  When you move you change your present self.  Take a walk.  Do some jumping jacks.  Or do what I do and throw on some good music!!

When you dance you change your energy!  Allow yourself that!

It should come as no surprise to you that one of my go-to songs is Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys!  

4. Do One Fun Thing.

Set the timer for 5 minutes.  And then go!  

Race down the hall with your kid!  Blare the music!  And do some funny dance moves!  Jump out of your comfort zone.  Let yourself have fun.  You're exhausted, I know, let it. go.  Let them play with you how they want.  (You can set the timer here too.)  Make up funny words and meanings with them.  

Say YES! and let yourself enjoy it!   Whatever is fun or funny or easy.  Have dessert before dinner.  Connect.  5 minutes will be good for your soul. 

5. Try Again Tomorrow

Give up.  Tell the day - you. are. done.  

My husband has certainly come home from his work to a dark, disastrous house.  My mother liked to put lipstick on for her husband before he came home from work.  I sometimes think it's a miracle I survived the day, especially when the girls were little.  There certainly have been times when my husband has come home and I am sitting on the sofa with no lights on, trash tv in the background and I was just done. 

That's okay too.  Get your rest, take care of yourself.  Do what you've got to do. No one said balancing work and family was going to be easy.  Give yourself that permission and try again tomorrow!

Good luck!  

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As an entrepreneur mentor, I've coached thousands of busy mom's. I've discovered the #1 thing you need to be successful and why it's not too late to start now.

“I can give you a six-word formula for success: "Think things through - then follow through.”  Sir Walter Scott

We all have a lot of great business ideas, needs and wants.  Some of us seem to have all the luck and get all of their wishes fulfilled, while some seem to be satisfied with status quo and never achieve their dreams.  The difference between the haves and have-nots is the follow through. 

Last summer my girlfriend fulfilled a lifelong dream of living in Paris.  Without even really knowing it, this was one of my life-long dreams.  The difference is that she planned for her month in the City of Lights and she had the gumption to make it happen.  

“Follow through” is what makes the difference in making dreams (or even just cool stuff) happen.  We have great ideas, all of us; but what are you following through on?  What are you consistently working towards?  It may not be a month in Paris exploring the city; rather, it may be something simple.  Where you spend your time and energy is where you will find success.  Period.

Following through does not mean making one single attempt and then giving up.  If you are trying to land your dream client will you reach out one time and then think “well, I tried”.  No!  That wouldn't get your client for you! 

Jane Wurwand and her husband of Dermologica, the world’s number one skin care line, worked with 78 different technicians before finding the right product. 

Ariana Huffington, you know the Founder of The Hufffington Post, contacted 48 different publishers before getting her first book deal.  Following through is being passionate enough about your dream and goal to be consistent with the effort required to make it happen. 

Following through on your dreams and goals also means following up.  Here are 3 ways I follow up: 

1. The Friendly Follow Up

When I send a reminder email, text or call I actually state "This is your friendly reminder to xx".  I want the person that I am talking with to feel confident talking with me and not to feel guilty about not following through themselves.  I know that we all have lots and lots of things happening, we have many reasons we get sidetracked and I am okay with that.  I am simply reminding them to focus on me and my needs for the moment.  When the timing is correct, they will come back through.   Your friendly reminders will help keep your needs at the forefront. 

2. Putting a Process Behind My Relationship Management

Oh goodness, don't run away from the technical necessary evil stuff.  Just hear me out.

When I was younger, like 20, I would call my brother and sister-in-law on a regular basis "just to say hi".  I told them it was friendly message to let them know I was thinking of them, they didn't even have to call me back.  I would call them every couple of weeks or even months and on occasion, I would get a call back.  I do the same with my friends.  I am that loyal kind.  And I honestly don't get upset if you don't call me back.  I just don't take it personal and I keep it up.    I apply the same principles with my work relationships.  I develop meaningful relationships as I work next to someone and I want to continue that even when our work doesn't proceed forward.  

This past year as an entrepreneur mentor, my business started to get busier and busier, I am not going to lie, developing and maintaining relationships started coming at a faster pace than I have ever worked with.  I am pleased, of course.  I started using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool called Insightly.  The number of emails I am sending was getting out of control.  Even with loads of categories and folders, you / one can't organize the workload in an email system.  Then with the birth of the podcast, I am putting many interview invitations out there.  I needed a manner to help me remember who exactly I have invited, a reminder to follow up and a note to follow up after the interview has occurred.  Everyone I talk to, I want them to be connected with me and I them.  How do I manage it?  I keep track (not perfect track but good enough) of the people I am working within Insightly.  It's actually quite amazing.  What was that movie line? "Set it and forget it."  All the emails I send out to a particular person are saved under their contact information.  I can then categorize them which I sometimes do.  Ideally, I would do create this designation to say it's a Mompreneur on Fire contact or a Consulting Contact.  I don't - I just use my notes to remember.  Then, my favorite part, is to set up Tasks for when I need to follow up with them.  Then I can "set it and forget it".  I get a reminder in my email, as I choose, to let me know today is the day to send a quick note!  

I love it.  It makes my life that much easier.  I need the friendly reminders too!

3. Be Thoughtful (And Here's How)

You know there are studies that show how that pharmaceutical sales methods of bringing lunches and hosting dinners is directly related to the increase of a prescription drug sales.  It's not surprising.  The doctors learn more when the sales reps are around and are politely, kindly following up all. the. time.  

• Are you close enough to bring coffee?  
• Can you pop on over to just say Hi?  
• Can you shoot them a text or an idea?  
• Can you find them the drycleaner they were searching for?
• Can you recommend them to someone else?

Follow through on what you say you're going to do.  Follow through on the relationship.  Be that friend even when you are busy.  It's appreciated and will help you full circle. 

“When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word "succeed," you find that it simply means to follow through.” – F.W. Nichol

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Do you always feel like you are behind?  Like everyone is making progress doing things you think or dream about?  You want to get ahead, yet you always feel late to the game? As an entrepreneur mentor, it's my duty to share with you everything I can for you to be successful. Let's do this!

My own coach told me, "Honey, that is a game you are never going to win.  You are not late."  I kind of "yeah yeah'd" her, thinking I "should be" err... so desperately wanted to be further ahead in my goals and dreams than I actually was.  

In thinking about our conversation, I think she is right.  (Totally right.)  I get to put together the plans for what I will accomplish, when, and how.  I get to decide if I am late or not -- it's my own game.  Right?! 

Given that, I still very much want to move forward, actively, and continuously.  I personally found that by giving myself space to work, and by taking it step-by-step, I was able to get ahead like never before.  (Well, like before when I had all the time in the world and no kiddos pulling on my leg asking for another coloring page!) As an entrepreneur mentor, I want to share with you everything I can to ensure your success.

1. TACKLE ONE THING AT A TIME 

Before you can really get ahead, you have to know and decide what you want to do.  Sounds like a no brainer, I know, but when you have lots of ideas and lots of responsibilities, it's hard to nail down just that one thing.  I get it.  I have a hard time doing that, too.  Being a professional project manager, where I literally teach and help others implement their goals, I can tell you through and through, it is simply impossible to change every single thing you want all at once.  You have to decide where to focus, and that's a maximum of 3 things at one time.  Depending on your workload and responsibilities, it may be 1 thing at a time.  That's okay.  Step by step, you will get to the others, but first you have to decide which item you are going to tackle now.

Are you going to focus on getting those big dream accounts?  Are you going to focus on building your brand?  Are you going to focus on having dinner on the table each night?  Getting to the gym on more regular basis?  

Once you decide, then own it.  

2.  START AND STOP

Again, once you decide what you are going to tackle, what you are going to accomplish, you have to decide when you will start.  

Right now? Are you prepared for that?  Probably not.  

Heck, I gave up processed sugar as a test to myself, and before I could fully commit to when I would start, I suddenly had cravings for Trader Joe's bite-sized licorice that I had to get!  Random!  But I had to do it!  I was not prepared! 

(By the way, best decision ever to give up sugar!)

Point is, you need to get prepared.  Will you start in a week?  Tomorrow?  Pick a date.  Put it on the calendar.  Mark where you are, and what your starting point is. 

Then give yourself a stop date.  An arbitrary stop date.  In my podcasts with Rosemarie Groner, the Busy Budgeter, she talked about how she gave herself a year to make full-time money from her blog.  If it didn't work after a year, she was going to move on.  (She's killing it, btw.)

Give yourself a reasonable timeframe to accomplish what you are looking for.  Test the waters and commit. 

3. COMMIT

OMGoodness, I cannot tell you how many times people let go of their own commitments to themselves.  You know it's true.  We all do it.  In order to get ahead, you have to commit to doing what you set out to do.  The best and easiest way to do that is also to plan out how you are going to accomplish it.  Plan out how you are going to get started TODAY and for the rest of the week.  That's it.  Don't go any further that next week.  Truth is, part of your work will be learning.  When learning comes, the plan goes out the window.  

Commit today.  Plan for tomorrow and next week.  Then start doing. 

4. TURN OFF THE TV

When are you going to do this?  Do you watch tv? 

Good, I do, too.  I wish I could be that person where we didn't have tvs, but that's not me.  I have 3 shows I watch.  The Good Wife (sad it's actually over).  Scandal. (Silly I know, but I'm committed.)  The Deadliest Catch.  (My husband and I have been watching it since it started, what can I say, I'm a loyal person.)  Then if I need something mindless in the background, I watch Friday Night Lights from Netflix on repeat.  I have literally seen the show way too many times.  

But guess what -- that's it.  I watch tv, but I don't let tv consume me, either.  Typically I watch an episode of something with my husband and then I walk away.  With the tv out of my life, I have many more hours to give to my goals and dreams.  

Step away from the tv.  You'll thank me for it later. 

5. GO TO PINTEREST & YOUTUBE

OMGoodness.  Google is dead.  Google is sooo 10 years ago.  If you want to know, if you want to learn, it's all on Pinterest and YouTube.

Don't even "yeah yeah" me on this one -- just listen.  I had no idea myself until just a few months ago.

Want to know how to put together a podcast?  YouTube.  

Want to know what equipment you need to put together a podcast?  YouTube.

Want to know how to start a blog?  Pinterest.

Want to know how to create multiple streams of income online? Pinterest. Or Here.

Want to know how to do that and put a meal on the table at night?  Pinterest.  YouTube. 

Anything you want to learn or do, there is information about it on Pinterest and YouTube.  (And actually Facebook, too.)  Google is sooo over.  Trust me.  Keep the learning going and go where I tell you.

Actually, I am so serious about this that I have 2 guides that I am living and breathing and dreaming about when I sleep.  Pinterest Strategy Guide and Strategies Worth Sharing (for Facebook).  Seriously, 2 books to increase traffic by the thousands??  Worth it?  Ummm, yes!

6. CALENDAR BLOCK

I started calendar blocking just a few months ago and I simply love it.  It's not an exact science but what it does do is open up your eyes as to how much time you really have to devote to certain things.  

Immediately, the first things in the calendar are my girls' activities.  Most afternoons are booked solid with their activities.  That gives me mornings and evenings to add in.  When will I interview a guest for the podcast?  When will I edit the podcast and prepare the show notes?  When will I work on client work?  When will I hit the grocery store?  Make those returns I have to?  

Once I started putting tasks in my calendar, it was eye-opening where and how I was spending my time.  And with whom.  Was I spending my time with the people I wanted to vs the people I was actually seeing?  I was inadvertently and unintentionally setting priorities that way. Once I started calendar blocking, I really realized I could better control my time and make my activities align with my real values. 

Try it.  Just try it. 

7. SAY NO

Pick 3 priorities.  If a request comes in, then have NO at your forefront.  Remember, that is an option for you.  

It's okay to say no.  Actually, it feels amazing to say no.

No, thank you.  Not interested.  Not today.  Not tomorrow.  (Maybe next week.)  No.  

8. SAY YES

Have fun with YES!  Just say YES!  Let things change up.  Do what you wouldn't normally do!  Get out of that rut!  Allow the doors to open, breathe in the fresh air!  Say YES! and give it a shot!  You will get ahead more and more by just saying YES! YES!  I am open to that!  

Nothing is permanent.  If you cut your hair, it will grow!  If you say YES! then you get the experience of being open to the new experience!  Say YES!  Then next time, you can decide is this a YES! or a NO!

9. STEP AWAY FROM THE PHONE

It's too much.  To really get a break, to really get ahead, to really connect and move forward, you have to put the phone down. 

It's hard.  I know.  I have a love/hate relationship with my phone.  I hate it.  But I need it.  

Truth is, I don't need it all day every day.  Put the phone down and get back to work. 

10. BE KIND TO YOURSELF

You cannot get ahead without treating yourself well.  

I repeat.  You cannot get ahead without being kind to yourself.  

There are so many glorious and easy ways to be kind to yourself, so just do it.  

Recognize that you are strong and capable.  Treat yourself.  

All. the. time.

I realize this past year I mostly talked about my dreams, or even got angry about my unfulfilled dreams.  Without quite realizing it, I felt I had less time because I had my kiddos around and my charming, yet needy husband to take care of.  I felt my responsibilities were overwhelming me and preventing me from doing the things I dreamt of.  Perhaps that's true to a degree.  Or perhaps, I wasn't quite ready.  

But I'll tell you what, when I did get ready, when I did focus and turn off the tv, the tide shifted in my favor.  There has been so much learning this past year.  There's been a lot of highs and lows too, I'm not going to lie.  Yet, I realize, like my coach said, I was the only one who thought I was "late to the game" and I just had to focus on moving forward.  Was I committed?  Or wasn't I?  Was I open or wasn't I?  Was I willing to do the work?  When all my answers there were YES!, everything started to change.  

Start!  Take action!  Correct your actions and continue to move forward!

Good luck! Also, by all means, if you are working on getting ahead in your own life and want further explanation on any of these steps, please reach out to me.  I'd be happy to explain my process further if that would help you! 

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In full disclosure, this blog post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase from any of these links, I may make a little money. So thank you in advance for using these links as it adds a cushion in my accounts, too! 

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The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.  ~Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur

Doesn’t it always seem like the customer wants “just” one more thing?  Heck, I don’t blame them. I do it myself.  Aren’t we trained to always want more?  Sometimes, even when we get what we want, it isn’t what we really need.  

So it’s no surprise that our customers want one more thing. 

One small thing. 

When you give your customers that one small thing they want ahead of time, they are not only surprised but they are excited to see what comes next.  That one small thing is big because it's big to them. These business ideas will keep your customers happy and increase your referrals.

This small thing is there to make them feel special.  And that’s the ultimate end goal, right? We want our customer to be excited with our delivery and to feel special. 

Now when reality sets in and when we have multiple customers who want multiple additions to what was promised, we can get to a place where we have added on tons of work, higher expectations, and lower profit revenue.   To me, “just” doing one more thing always ends up taking much longer than expected. 

So how do we manage both? Surprise and delight our customers and all of them?  This is the power of low-hanging fruit.  Low-Hanging Fruit: What is it?  There's always the core offering or product that you are delivering.  The low-hanging fruit is the thing that helps them that much more, it's something that would make it easier and nicer for them to use or achieve. 

Low-hanging fruit is something seemingly small, a minimal effort, but it provides a surprisingly big impact to the your client. 

Below are some things you can do to make your customer happy while not adding loads of work to you and your team:

1. Powerful & Friendly Follow up.  By checking in with your client you are keeping them engaged and in-the-know with how you care about them.  This could a quick email to them, a text or call.  Give your client an unexpected follow up and have them light right up. 
2. Send them a Thank You Note.  When was the last time you received a hand-written thank you note?  Spend the few minutes to tell your customers how appreciative you are to work with them.  Your client would be thrilled and feel appreciated themselves.  The impact and improvement on the relationship will be great.  
3. Proactively Give Them a Service They Would Pay For. Do you offer services by the hour?  If so, then during that appointment, add in 15 or 30 minutes just for fun.  Time is a commodity and something we all need more of.  Why not give some additional time? Won't your client love and appreciate that?!  

Bonus Steps:

1. Bring Them a Treat. Are you local? Who doesn't want a surprise afternoon coffee break?   The pharmaceutical industry relies on this practice and it truly generates sales for them.  They bring breakfast, coffee, sweet treats.  You're are getting in front of your client, face-to-face.  What better way to remind them you are there than being there?
2. Give Them a Recommendation.  Do you know someone who could use their services?  Do they do good work? Share the good will.   Speak highly of them and recommend them too.  Even write them a recommendation on LinkedIn.  That takes minutes but the effect and goodwill will only improve your relationships.

Making the extra effort for your client will grow the relationship leaps and bounds.   People admit there is always a better service or better price but they enjoy the comfort and loyalty of people they work with.  If you have a relationship where your customer is surprised and delighted, why would they not want to work with you??  Low-hanging fruit is one of the simplest ways to make your customer happy.  You're showing a customer that you are thinking of them when they are not there.  This thing that you do will require a minimal effort on your part but will make big impact to your customer.    

Your customer will be excited, feel special and be happy with you! You'll feel confident that they are there to stay.

Good luck!

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