As leaders, we are very visible.   We are visible to our clients, team, community, competitors, and vendors.   When things go well, we are happy for them to see our success.   However, that happiness is a double-edged sword. It can also lead us to hesitate on taking the next risk for fear that these same watchers will see our mistakes.  This leads us to believe we must appear perfect to the world, and in turn, can stifle our growth and creativity. 

What is a brand? And is the term “brand” only used when referring to a business? Businesses need to understand and know about branding, in general, and understand the term “brand” itself. What does that mean? A lot of times, especially startup businesses, they hear the word “brand” and instantly think, “Oh, that’s just my company or my logo, my visual identity.” But it’s the entire experience.  Now, post-pandemic, or when transitioning into a new normal, we need to understand

I first came across the idea of Kaizen when I was working as a professional organizer with chronically disorganized people. I picked up the book One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Mauer (Workman Publishing Company, 2014) and was fascinated by how we can make big changes with little steps that circumvent the normal fear response in our brains.  But this process is not just about a mental exercise. It is an application and affirmation

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ― Jim Rohn I love this quote. It is a reminder that who you hang out with impacts who you are.   Yet the research is clear – you are not an average of the five people you spend the most time with.  But what you are is influenced by those around you – and their friends, too.  As a child, your sphere of influence was probably rather

Why do you need to network virtually? People still want to connect, and virtual networking gives us the opportunity to connect and continue to build relationships. Webinars have replaced seminars. Zoom meetings have replaced networking events. And phone calls have replaced coffee meetings. We all miss the in-person networking, but there’s no sense complaining about it. We must really embrace what we have. And we’ve got to play the hand that we’ve been dealt. Remember, this is a marathon, not

Why is self-empowerment so important right now? It’s important because as I started to talk to people, as we went into quarantine, they felt like everything was so uncertain. They felt like they were losing their power and their self-empowerment, not just in business but for themselves as well. So, when that happens, the important thing is to realize, the one thing that we can control when we can’t control anything that’s going on around us is how we react

Here’s the real deal. We all know what to do. We know what we need.  And we can see the path others need to follow, like a yellow brick road lit up with neon lights. BUT when it comes to our own path, for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem that clear.  When I was working with marketing coach, Fabienne Fredrickson, founder of BoldHeart, she often said, “You can’t give yourself a good haircut.”  And that is the reality. You can’t

It’s been a LONG two years since the global pandemic began, and if you are anything like me, you have experienced the weight of constant worry and decision making. To combat the worry and endless decisions to be made, you may have tried relaxation techniques to try to help you through these difficult times. I know I have. I have tried using things like calming tea, long hot baths, visualization, etc. And while these have felt good, and they also

What’s something you do each morning to start your day? One of my personal practices is pulling a guidance card every morning. Some people call this divination, and some people use this as a spiritual practice. You may be familiar with it, for example, with tarot cards or Oracle cards, or even as simple as flipping through the Bible or other religious texts and letting your eyes, mind, and spirit guide you to the message that you need for that

All of these words may seem powerful yet daunting, comforting yet impossible. But let’s take a minute to work through these concepts and how you can apply them to your business to get better results. Let’s start by going back to the Implementation Function. IMPLEMENT ∫(STRATEGY) = RESULTS = GROWTH = IMPACT This function says that when you apply implementation to strategy, you get Results, Growth, Impact.  Last week, we discussed how one of the things missing from this equation