A friend of mine, a fellow writer by the name of Kathe Lieber, wrote a Facebook post this morning that nestled its way right into my self-employed heart. To paraphrase, she wrote that it was thirty years ago today that she left her steady  job to “try out” freelancing and that she’s still “riding the rollercoaster.” I love this. I love that she has had the tenacity and endurance and courage and TALENT to keep at self-employment for three decades (and that she knows the anniversary date!).

Especially, I love her honesty in saying it’s still hard. There are still ups and downs – sometimes elating and sometimes harrowing.

Where you are right now, dear entrepreneur, whether in a high or a low… it’s all okay. It wouldn’t be a rollercoaster otherwise. You have permission to be in a dip and not feel stuck there. Dips are part of building momentum too, even if they don’t feel that way at the time. You, dear business owner, have made of your life a certain amusement park. That’s going to feel weird sometimes.

Another dear entrepreneurial friend confided last week that he was afraid I’d be disappointed in him when I found out he was interviewing for a salaried job. He also described his business as a “failure” as in its first 18 months, it hadn’t been able to support him. Please, everyone, know this: taking the leap into self-employment is the success. THAT is the mark of bravery and uncommon faith. That is what I will applaud every chance. Where it goes from there is in so many ways, to me, irrelevant.

But here is the other piece that really needs mentioning: most businesses don’t sustain their owners comfortably until five years in. Not having a mansion and regular tropical holidays (or just the bills paid on time) at year two isn’t failure; it’s normal. It’s part of the process. It’s one of the dips.

You know what else isn’t failure? Choosing to do something different, leaving a business and taking a job with a paycheque. My buddy thrives when surrounded by other people and the energy of that. He shouldn’t be working from home. That would be such a loss for all his future co-workers.. what a gift he will be to them. There is no shame in deciding life would be more comfortable with predictable income. You know best how to nurture your spirit and how to nurture your family. And you can do your Great Work at your kitchen table or in someone else’s boardroom just as gracefully. This I know for sure.

So as I sit here at my antique desk, sharing my seat with a sleeping cat, I’m so grateful to Kathe and to my unnamed buddy because I’m full up with admiration for them. They are both way-finders, and that is what the world needs. Their examples are blessings in my life. Thank you to you both for your creative, courageous spirits.
~~~
Writer Carrie Klassen is a green tea enthusiast, author-in-progress, fine point pen aficionado, INFJ Scorpio, and chief creatrix at Pink Elephant Creative, a website writing and design boutique for inspired entrepreneurs. She also writes workbooks and teaches workshops at Pink Elephant Academy for Entrepreneurs.

Inspired, as ever, by the Domestic Divas, I’ve whipped up a very quick, little guide to the moon phases so we entrepreneuses know what aspects of our businesses (and our bodies) should get what attention when.

Women are lit up by moonlight. The more of the moon you can see in the sky, the more creative, nurturing energy we have.

If you’d like to save a copy for yourself, click on the graphic, use your magnifying glass to make it a smidge bigger, then right-click and choose “save as”.

And if you’re not sure what phase of the moon we’re in, check out this excellent site, MoonConnection.com.

~~~
Writer Carrie Klassen is a green tea enthusiast, novelist-in-progress, fine point pen aficionado, INFJ Scorpio, and president of Pink Elephant Creative, a website writing and design boutique for inspired entrepreneurs. She also writes workbooks and teaches workshops at Pink Elephant Academy for Entrepreneurs.

Last weekend’s super moon was awe-inspiring, wasn’t it? Up here in Toronto, she looked a little bigger than usual but so much brighter. Golden. Gorgeous. In the southern hemisphere, my friend, photographer, psychic and all-round wise woman Laurie Anne King, took this photo from near her home in Australia. Magical, huh? (If you like her work, you can see more of her photography right here.)

I’ve long been fascinated by the moon. Years ago, I started charting how my cycle shifted with her phases. Living in a city centre with our disruptive 24-hour lights, often women aren’t able to attune to the moon but I think because of my conscious awareness of it – as well as our heavy black-out curtains in the bedroom – my body could. Gradually, I learned what week in my cycle and what phase of the moon was best for socializing (and which was decidedly NOT). I figured out when to start projects and when to just let things be. Where, in past, I would have been hard on myself for procrastinating, I learned that a shift in my energy would come, so to enjoy the rest instead.

There are many excellent resources for learning about women and the moon. One of my first teachers was holistic reproductive health practitioner Amy Sedgwick of Red Tent Sisters. Then I met yoga goddess Zahra Haji who even developed her own amazing moon charting and yoga practice (which she teaches) called Moon Goddess. Both were inspired by the work of Miranda Gray. Most recently, I’ve fallen head over heels for fellow moon-lovers Sherry Rothwell and Adrian Percy of Domestic Diva. And what follows here is an interview with Sherry, as they even time their newsletters with the moon cycles! I’ve asked Sherry for her insight, especially, into using feminine energy management and moon cycles to nurture our businesses (since we gals are all entrepreneuses here).

It’s a good, long one, so you might want to pour yourself some chilled raspberry leaf tea and lemon and settle in for a good chat. (Sherry is so moon-smart!)

A. It is more relevant than ever for women to be consciously aware of the moon’s phases because there are so many elements of modern living that take us out of sync with them. Never before have we had to play so many roles as women: wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, entrepreneur, CEO, maid, cook etc. We have a lot to do and a lot to be responsible for.

Modern women have more to do yet less support around our basic needs than ever. While I would personally love to live in community (like our ancestors) sharing the domestic work and having a built-in social life – for many of us that lifestyle feels out of reach or inaccessible within the blueprint of our industrialized society.

A. Given all that we currently have on our plates as women and as entrepreneurs, we need greater awareness of our intrinsic feminine blueprint for energy management.  By tapping consciously into the impact that the moon’s phases have on our energy fluctuations throughout the month, we can harness the power of the moon to create harmony in our lives and in our businesses.

In the days before electricity, we didn’t have to use our conscious awareness to be in harmony with the moon’s phases. The increasing and decreasing radiance of the moon would naturally call us into sync with the rising and falling energies of the month.

Unfortunately the very structure of modern life creates an artificial homogenization of our night and day, so that we act as if each day is simply the same as the one before. The world expects us to simply manage our time better when we feel out of sync.

However, the concept of time management does not fit with the unique biology of women. The way we perceive and work with time in industrialized societies does not serve the feminine (nor does it serve our communities and families).

Nature though, provides a perfect rhythm to manage our energy in a way that both calls us to slow down and to rise up in perfect harmony with the fluctuating levels of energy that we feel throughout the each month.

Each of the moon’s phases has a specific energy level and quality. As the light builds, so does our energy and as it recedes, our energy follows suit. We can fight it all we want, but the reality is there is no sense in resisting what is intrinsic to us. If we fight our femininity, we not only experience pain, but we also miss the great mysteries and gifts of being a woman.

On the other hand, when we plan our monthly tasks in sync with our own natural rhythms, not only are we more productive, but our lives naturally feel more harmonious. Visioning and rest are built into our feminine template (or patterning) because it is a necessity, not a luxury.

When we “push the river”, we struggle against the very nature of our femininity and the inherent blueprint we have for managing our energy, our life and our work.

In fact the more we resist the way we feel (when the body says no and the soul is uninspired) and we try to push ourselves to get things done in our business that are not in sync with where we are at in the cycle (or who we are) we end up more unproductive that ever – even if we never stop working!

We’ve all had that experience of trying to force ourselves to finish something (from the ego’s desire to get it done, rather than from a state of inspiration) and  it ends up being a total waste of time or taking six times longer than it should!

When we “push the river”, we struggle against the very nature of our femininity and the inherent blueprint we have for managing our energy, our life and our work. If we follow our natural rhythms though – even if that means stopping – we are more productive overall (and healthier because we attend to both the body and soul’s need for rest and recuperation each month).

Our menstrual or bleeding time is a gift (of slowing down and clear vision) and our inspiration is a signpost that tells us – yes, in fact we are taking the right path or next step. Our intuition speaks through the language of the body and through our feelings about what is occurring in the moment; these are senses that serve a purpose and require our conscious attention.

Taking the time to reflect during our inherent times of increased vision during the new moon ensures that we take action in our business in ways that are in alignment with our values and our purpose. By taking the time slow down and evaluate what serves and what doesn’t, we actually make space for that which we are yet to manifest.

A. The first step is simply becoming aware that the moon impacts our life rhythms, energy and productivity. We do this by taking notice of how our energy and mood fluctuates throughout the month.

Second, anything that attunes us to the natural forces can re-harmonize our bodies with nature’s cycles; for instance, going to bed with the sunset and arising with the sun, eating local food, sleeping in complete darkness during the naturally darkest times of the moon’s phases, taking moonlight walks at night, taking nature into our homes by eating food in the whole form that nature provides, walking barefoot on the earth…

The most telling sign that we are out of sync with the moon is that we bleed at times other than the new moon.

If you notice that the way your energy fluctuates is not in tune with the moon’s phases, that’s okay – just start where you are by tuning into your intuition and acting on tasks that resonate with your energy levels and your inspiration as they are right now.

Another way that we can tell that we are out of sync is when we feel burnt out, unsatisfied or when everything feels hard and there are obstacles at every turn. If you know without a doubt that you are on the right path and giving fully of your gifts in the world, yet your world consistently feels upside-down (or you have a breakdown approximately every 3-4 weeks and you want to throw it all out the window), then the next step is to sync with your natural rhythms so that you can go with the flow, rather than force your way through times of lower energy.

The construct of “time management” is just not reasonable for women due to the inherent physiological forces within our feminine physiology. We bleed, give birth and we are compelled to nurture others – none of these intrinsically feminine forces can be scheduled, nor can they be forced, managed or suppressed if we want to embrace who we are fully.

Childbirth, for example, is the perfect metaphor. Labours that are inhibited or managed by the external will of a caregiver or forced to proceed faster with induction drugs most often result in complications, failure to progress or a complete cessation of labour. Very similarly, if we ignore, suppress or force ourselves to act outside of our true nature, our business will be full of complications, progress very little or we will feel stifled and unable to give birth to the highest expression of ourselves or the true vision and mission of our business.

The alternative to time management for women is managing our energy. Attuning ourselves with the building and receding energies of the moon is one of the many ways that we can manage our energy.

New Moon

This is the time of the month that we are naturally encouraged to become more introspective and introverted. Our energy is at its lowest, making now the best time to rest and rejuvenate. It is the perfect time to vision, set intentions and nurture our creative side. It is also the perfect time to just be with and make sacred space for deep conversation with the women in your life (masterminding).

Waxing Moon

During the waxing moon, our energies are starting to rise again, making the time ripe to start preparing the soil so it’s fertile for upcoming projects (restructuring, foundational work, putting structures and systems in place to support what we will be doing next). Now is the time to get out there and start planting seeds (ideas and new projects) and to communicate (meetings and planning).

Full Moon

The full moon is when our energy is at its peak. Now is the best time to push hard to accomplish that which we envisioned during the new moon. Give yourself permission to work hard and play hard (big project undertakings and development here). If you want to stay up until the wee hours of the morning and ride on the momentum, give yourself permission to flow with it, if you feel so inspired!

Waning Moon

This is the time when our energy begins to recede. It is time to start wrapping things up and finishing tasks that have been weighing on you (ie: invoicing, clearing or reorganizing clutter) so that your life, your home and your business feels spacious. This time of clearing is essential to make space for your new moon visions. You will be more easily able to slow down, relax and rejuvenate during the new moon because those annoying unfinished tasks will no longer be taking up space in your mind.

If you’d like a handy reference guide for the moon phases, click here.

Sherry Rothwell is the co founder of DomesticDiva.ca where she helps women reclaim domestic arts and traditional wisdom.  Sherry is a holistic nutritionist, mother of two and mompreneur who embraces being a woman. Sherry loves sharing feminine mysteries and teaching healing arts through live events, teleseminars, e-courses and private coaching programs.

 

Want to be reminded as we transition in and out of each of the moon’s cycles? Sign up for  the Domestic Diva newsletter so that we can send you a weekly notification by e-mail in service to helping you manage your energy and get in tune with your natural rhythms. www.DomesticDiva.ca

~~~
Writer Carrie Klassen is a green tea enthusiast, novelist-in-progress, fine point pen aficionado, INFJ Scorpio, and president of Pink Elephant Creative, a website writing and design boutique for inspired entrepreneurs. She also writes workbooks and teaches workshops at Pink Elephant Academy for Entrepreneurs.

A few weeks ago, I was struggling with a decision. It wasn’t a major life decision; it wasn’t a crisis. But it was weighing on me. I’d found a retreat that seemed really inviting. There was lots about it that called to me. But I also felt resistance. Part of which was financial. It would be, for me, a pricey endeavor and would mean wiping out my savings and a little extra.

I wasn’t sure if my discomfort around saying “yes” was an irrational fear that I wouldn’t be able to make that money back, and thus an invitation to take the leap and trust. Or, if the discomfort was because it just wasn’t the right investment of energy for me. I’m sure many of you have been in similar positions.

I am, as you all know, wildly blessed to be surrounded by the likes of you. Healers and generous spirits, wise women and men who wonder about the same things I do. So, I posed this question on my Facebook page, and then delighted in the answers.

Q. How do you tell the difference between good you’re-stepping-out-of-your-comfort-zone-so-of-course-it-feels-weird fear and bad my-instincts-say-no fear? I’m trying to make a decision and my gut is too jumpy to let me properly check in with it.

Otte Rosenkrantz: My favourite response to that is “It’s called ‘Comfort’ Zone for a reason…”

The Communications Distillery: The last time I felt that fearful-but-should-I-anyway feeling, I didn’t go for it … and then I felt a little resentful when my friend DID and succeeded. In retrospect, I wish I’d looked at the potential future. Would you resent NOT doing it? Would you wish you had? What would the Carrie-you-always-dreamed-of-being do (aka WWTCYADOBD)?

Vivian Osal: When making a decision, I will ask myself “Is this a Truthful reflection of who I AM? Is this what I wish to Create for myself?” Remember to take deep breathes to calm your body and mind

Karl Gilmore: Flip-A-Coin

Laura Buchanan: What’s the worst thing that could happen? If you can live with your answer – go for it

Lisa Kelly: Like mentioned above — trying imagining yourself in the future and looking back. Would you have regret for not trying it?

Miriam Verhaar: Like some of the comments above, I ask myself ‘will I regret it if I _don’t_ do it?’ &/or ‘will I regret it if I _do_ it?’. Another question I might ask is do you want to be talked _into_ it? or talked _out_ of it? both sets of questions will give you an idea of the underlying current/feeling. & if there is so much fear that it is paralyzing you from taking action, then it’s probably not the right time to make a decision, or take action.

Jill Murphy: Get second opinions from two people close to you. Even the more clear guts need backup. And, whatever you choose can always be unchosen. Best!

Heather Gray: when I am in that confusion space (of not knowing what the inner guidance is telling me) I go for a walk in nature, drop the mental thinking about it, wait until I feel peace-filled, then I ask anew

Allison Rice: While the surface-level feelings for both sides are the same, I find that, for me, the deep inner voice always knows which it is. I have to take time and create space to check in with myself — and to remove barriers (like feelings of inadequacy or fear of letting someone down) to make the wise/bold choice.

Darryl Patterson: As my biz partner likes to say, “You have a 100% chance of failure if you don’t try.”

Nita Apple: I’m all for following your “gut”, but don’t forget you’re just recovering from the stomach flu, it (your gut) might be sending some physical messages that are left over from the flu. I’m with Heather Gray, create a peace-filled space and ask anew.

Marie Mikkonen: For me the comfort zone version always has an element of YES to it, it can feel like excitement, warmth or passion-fire. The instincts-say-no-fear always reduces my energy in some way. When I go with the fear it usually always includes an element of trying to please someone & I end up wasting both of our time. [just happened recently] Good luck with the decision ♥

Hazel Bissky: Check in with the energy in your body and feel if its heavy or light – heavy is likely a no… if you can’t get centred that’s a sign you’re freaking out about some aspect of what you are doing based on some past memory – try tapping it out – speaking your truth out loud like… I feel scared and I don’t know if this is me or someone else’s fear or if I’m afraid or excited and ( do you know the tapping points? ) if not just tap your crown chakra and third eye and throat centre… while you speak the truth of your confusion and see what comes out – this can be very freeing. Alternatively I feel there is a belief that if you step out of your comfort zone something bad will happen. This is your old belief that is holding back the forward movement – pay attention to it make sure you get to the source of the old memory and then clear it.

Water the Universal Healer: If it isn’t going to hurt you physically or morally, try it, you can always change your mind after

Bettina Goodwin: If there is a sense of peace behind it, then it is your intuition telling you to back away. If it seems more irrational and is full of thoughts swimming around in your head then it is fear that you need to walk through. Try this – picture a door and on the other side of it the decision. Walk up to the door and open it – how do you feel? Step over the threshold – what’s there? You’ve just stepped out of your comfort zone. The ego will never give you a straight answer, only long lists of pros and cons. But the source/connection to Divine, heart/soul will always give you a definitive and right answer.

Nysha Dahlgren: I ask the question before I fall asleep and let my unconscious do the talking!

Radical Creative Sanctuary: Well well Carrie, you are surrounded by some seriously intelligent heart warriors! The most effective method for me was suggested by The Communications Distillery. I know if I imagine the future, or someone else choosing this path, would I be regretful or jealous. Bam. It’s there.

I made my way through this list of inspired suggestions (thank you, all!) and at the end was quite sure my resistance actually had nothing to do with the cost; it was that I didn’t believe I would get the answers for myself that this retreat promised. Not because the retreat wasn’t what it purported to be, but because I wasn’t the right fit. At least not right now. It’s funny how the mind can get in the way, throwing irrelevant, old muck into the mix.

Because I wanted to be absolutely sure about this decision, I doubled-back to Jill’s tip – ask trusted advisors for advice. One of my most trusted advisors is my wise woman psychic intuitive business and life coach Laurie Anne. No one can help me cut through my own muck more quickly, and by the end of our session, she had me feeling very clear that this opportunity wasn’t for me right now. I expected to feel disappointed but, you know, the truth is always liberating, isn’t it? The “no” to this experience washed over me like the sweetest relief.  And I smiled to have been brought just a little closer to my own inner wise woman. The one who knew all along and was patiently waiting for me to hear her. (We just needed a little help from my friends.)

If there’s a decision you’re mulling or there’s any area of your life that could use a zap of otherworldly clarity, I simply cannot recommend Laurie Anne enough.

How do you make decisions when you’re feeling of two minds?

~~~
Writer Carrie Klassen is a green tea enthusiast, novelist-in-progress, fine point pen aficionado, INFJ Scorpio, and president of Pink Elephant Creative, a website writing and design boutique for inspired entrepreneurs. She also writes workbooks and teaches workshops at Pink Elephant Academy for Entrepreneurs.

guest post by Bari Tessler

Have you noticed that even for those of us who have “done a lot of work”, we often check out around money? While many of us have other psycho-spiritual practices like meditation, yoga  and exercise, money is often the “last frontier”. If you can relate, you’re not alone. The best place to start? Cultivate your conscious money practice.

In its basic meaning, any “practice” is simply a healthy habit we do on a regular basis that, over time, provides a cumulative benefit. Your “Money Practice” can be defined as the steps you take on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis to help bring more clarity, peace of mind and success to your financial life.

#1: The Physical Level of Your Money Practice

This is where we attend to the practical aspects of our relationship with money. You choose how often you attend to your money practice – daily, weekly, monthly. I invite you to schedule a weekly “money date” with yourself as you’re beginning to cultivate your money practice. Setting aside this time & clearing this space is often the hardest, and most important piece. Once you enter the space of your money practice, here are some aspects to consider, on this “physical level”:

• Learn a tracking system (like Mint, Quicken, or Quickbooks). I used to be TERRIFIED of these systems! Many of us want to outsource this piece because it’s so uncomfortable. However, it can be phenomenally empowering and healing to learn a system, learn this language, and attend to our financial tracking regularly with clarity.
• Save your receipts in a fancy stylish accoutrement. Especially if you have a business (and even for those of us simply looking to bring more consciousness), it’s important to keep your receipts and reconcile them regularly. I keep all my receipts in really cool silver old cigarette case. This small touch I’ve added to my money practice helps keep me awake, inspired, and effective.
• Clear the clutter. Clean your desk & create a nice environment to attend to your money practice. Add candles. Something beautiful. Music. Anything that helps you step more deeply into your conscious money practice.

#2: The Emotional Level of your Money Practice

This is where we bring more awareness to our “money story”. What emotions come up for you around money? What’s your history? Where do you check out, freak out, or become anxious?  Deep breaths and huge doses of compassion are needed here. This level is about deepening in self-intimacy, and understanding our experience with money, and how it’s playing out in our current life.

Here’s my favorite tool to engage with the emotional level of your money practice. Use this tool in each moment of your money practice – as you prepare to have a complicated money conversation, as you approach an important money decision, as you’re sitting down to the computer to pay your bills . . .  

• Body Check Ins: Stop whatever else you are doing. Take a few deep, slow breaths. Be open and curious about your inner experience. Notice any thoughts, feelings, images, body sensations, memories. Acknowledge what you find. Write about your experience in a money journal if you’d like to. Collect data, clues, and pieces of the puzzle to help you come into deeper relationship with yourself & your money story.

#3: The Psycho-Spiritual Level of Your Money Practice

This is where we drill down to the very deepest meaning of your money practice, and align your finances with your values. What is the meaning and value that you are exchanging your money for? What is your vision for your life? And how does that connect to your relationship with money?

• Renaming: Transform boring, or stressful expenses into deeply held and honored values. For example, what if instead of paying your “Mortgage” or “Rent” each month, you invested in your “Sanctuary”, “Home”, or even “Love Shack”?! By renaming in this way, our financial comings and goings are infused with meaning and intentionality.

Wherever you are on your money journey, choose your very next baby step, and take that step. The tools you’ll find here are just the beginning. Remember, the most important step in nurturing any practice is to begin. And begin again. Again and again.

To learn more about cultivating a money practice, working with your “money story” and stepping into a path of Financial Transformation, join Bari on the line for a free teleclass on Tuesday, April 3rd, “Wake Up With Money”. Save your seat here: http://baritessler.com/programs/wake-up-with-money-teleclass

~~~

Bari Tessler is a Financial Therapist, Coach and Mommypreneur. She founded the Conscious Bookkeeping Method – Tools for Financial Transformation in 2001, after a decade working as a body-centered therapist.

The business quickly grew from a one-woman operation into a team of six other accounting, psychology, coaching, and investment professionals. Then, with the birth of her son in 2008, Bari successfully evolved back into a one-woman rockin’ show as a mommypreneur, updating her business model to honor the importance of spending lots of time with her family.

She offers the Conscious Bookkeeping Method: Tools For Financial Transformation™, via these programs: Introductory Video Course, Wake Up With Mint Course, Home Study Program, and private Financial Therapy.

Her teaching combines practical action steps, a wealth of therapeutic experience, and inspiration galore to help her clients transform their relationships with money, body, mind and spirit.

To learn more about Bari and her work, go here: http://baritessler.com/

Jennifer Lee of Artizen Coaching is clearly a kindred spirit – especially with her appreciation for the right side of our brains. She’s doing a tour of her favourite blogs to get the word out about her Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit (February 27-March 9, 2012) and today, she’s popping up on ours!

For her Pink Elephant debut, I asked Jennifer if she’d share the three biggest mistakes she sees creative entrepreneurs making, as well as her recommendations for avoiding them. I love what she’s written for us.

1. Not trusting themselves.

This is the biggest thing I see come up for creative entrepreneurs. They think that they need to look outside themselves for the answers when really the answers are inside and they actually know more than they think they do. We worry about the details like if we’re using the right technology or tools, or if we’re making the right business decisions, or we spend time comparing ourselves to others we think are more successful. However, you and your creative business will thrive the most when you stay true to who you are and honor your values and vision. Focus on what’s most important to you in your creative business, believe in your vision, and trust that you’ll figure out the details that you need to (or get support to do it – see #3).

2. Not knowing their numbers.

I know the financial side of things can tend to be scary for creative entrepreneurs who would rather just concentrate on their passion and not have to worry about the money. And yet, I find that not knowing exactly how much money is coming in and going out actually causes more stress. The Moola Map exercise I share in Chapter 5 of my book The Right-Brain Business Plan offers a fun and visual way to look at your income and expenses. It’s a great way to get your feet wet. I also recommend having some type of bookkeeping system (and no, I don’t mean that shoebox overflowing with receipts) because it will help you track what you’re spending and making. Quickbooks or Outright are popular bookkeeping tools (not sure how to get that set up? See #3). When people take the time to look at the numbers they usually feel more empowered and excited about the opportunities. Knowledge certainly is power!

Note from Carrie: I’m with Jennifer – getting organized around your money is empowering and essential. If, though, you just can’t make yourself go the software route and you’re not in a position to hire a bookkeeper yet, at least start small. Here’s my own computer-free money management system for small business. It’s a step up from the shoe box and way preferable to doing nothing.

3. Not getting help.

Just because you’re a soloprenreur doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. In fact, if you are, you’re probably not being as effective (and profitable) as you can be. It can feel uncomfortable to reach out to others for help, but when you do, you’ll make your life a whole lot easier. I recommend making what I call a “helping hands wish list” where you write down all the ways you can use help right now in your work and personal life. Then identify one or two people you could make requests of. And even if you think you can’t afford to hire help or outsource work, remember that if you’re wasting your time doing things that you don’t like and aren’t good at rather than the things you love doing and make you money, you’re probably holding your business back. Another no-cost way you can get help is to find an accountability buddy. This is someone who you can check in regularly with to share what actions you’re committing to doing and to report back to them if you’ve done them or not. Sure, running a creative business can be challenging. And it can also be lots of fun when you invite others to play with you!

Like Jennifer’s take on things? (Me, too.) Visit her video summit or follow her on Twitter @artizencoaching to get a little more.

~~~

Jennifer Lee is the founder of Artizen Coaching and the award-winning author of The Right-Brain Business Plan. Her bestselling book has helped thousands of entrepreneurs around the world grow their businesses authentically and creatively. Join her live for free at her 2^nd annual Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit February 27^th-March 9^th. You can find her on Twitter at @artizencoaching.

There are a lot of things that get into our inboxes without our wanting them there. So many Facebook notifications (and I was sure I’d turned my off!), salesy newsletters, bulk emails… if you’re like me, you might be on a listserv or two, as well. But there are also so many gems! There are lots of great newsletters that I like a lot but still don’t read every issue. What I am sharing here is my very short list of emails I open EVERY time one comes in. Sometimes I read them right away and sometimes I save them to savour the read. If you subscribe to one of these (or all of them) it may give you a whole new love for your inbox.

Do you always mean to start – or keep – a gratitude journal but never quite manage it? Happy Rambles almost does it all for you. You get a daily email asking, “What are you grateful for?” and all you have to do is reply, listing five things. It’s all stored for you. (Almost) instant gratitude journal!
Read more.

Mike Dooley is an author several-times over and he’s also created these daily delights. Each day, you receive a personalized note from the universe. They’re so fun – and, often, so eerily “on.”
Read more.

Stephanie St. Claire is a coach and “start-over strategist” in New York City. Foremost, though, she’s a writer and she publishes to inboxes. Her Diaries is the only paid email subscription I have – for good reason. It’s delicious and poignant and sexy and elegant too. Every two weeks, there’s a new diary entry and a window into a most interesting soul and life.
Read more.

I can’t explain quite why but I find Ev’s daily notes fascinating. His style is highly edited and I find that, alone, interesting. (All the things he must choose to cut!) He conducts online “experiments” and “reports back.” It’s worth signing up to receive a few just to see what I’m talking about.
Read more.

Question: What are your must-read emails? What am I missing? Tell me in the comments section below, pretty please.

~~~

Writer Carrie Klassen is a green tea enthusiast, novelist-in-progress, fine point pen aficionado, INFJ Scorpio, and president of Pink Elephant Creative, a website writing and design boutique for inspired entrepreneurs. She also writes workbooks and teaches workshops at Pink Elephant Academy for Entrepreneurs.

While my first wish would be that we get to design your business cards for you, if you’d like to try your hand at your own design, this lovely infographic provides some great guidelines and inspiration for do-it-yourself designers. (I especially love the cookies idea, all you bakers out there!)

Ultimate Guide to Business Cards

via coolinfographics.com

~~~

Writer Carrie Klassen is a green tea enthusiast, novelist-in-progress, fine point pen aficionado, INFJ Scorpio, and president of Pink Elephant Creative, a website writing and design boutique for inspired entrepreneurs. She also writes workbooks and teaches workshops at Pink Elephant Academy for Entrepreneurs.

guest post by Viv Barclay

Getting your business off the ground, into orbit and then upwards into the stella-stratosphere is, so they say, akin to a rocket launch. 

95% of your entrepreneurial energy and effort is focused on the lift-off — the vertical push phase — and targeted at breaking through that 14 mile-high Thin Blue Line to income and profitability.

Once you’re up there and used to circulating at your new altitudes, maintaining that is less effort.   Then you start thinking about the “What Next” – the charting of even further new territory, the “boldly going” (and other split infinitives) as you develop ideas, products and services to captivate your market and woo more clients.

But what happens if your launch experience was not as expected?  What if it was more nauseatingly bone-shaking than rocket-fuelled excitement that propelled you into stratus-FEAR rather than stratosphere?   You’re up and running but your experience has left you uncertain of the future and unsure of what’s best to do – turn back or keep going.

Well…you could stay where you are and continue to do what you’re doing now so that nothing much changes.  At least that way you’ll know what to expect and it’s safe and familiar.

Or you could take notice of that voice in the back of your head that keeps you awake at night and prompts you to wonder what if you’d taken that risk to turn your face to the sun and allow all the shadows of doubts about the future fall behind you?   What then for your business – for your loved ones  – for YOU?

With the general consensus built of recessive doom and gloom, is it any wonder that we find it hard to believe that we have a place within us that is beyond the stuck-ness of uncertainty and fear?  This place is where we just HAVE to know the answer to the “what if?”  Accessing it gives you the ability to tap into your reserve fuel tanks of inspiration, creativity, drive, resilience and purpose that will propel you into your entrepreneurial heaven.

Here’s how:

1. BREATHE.  We all do it, have to do it even, (but only if we want to stay alive) and it’s so underrated!    Breathing consciously means an increased intake of one of your body’s fuel types – oxygen.  It also means a slowing of your heart-rate and a quietening down of that incessant mind-chatter so you can listen to yourself – to your own wisdom.  Let that wisdom guide you.  It’s your wisdom, it knows what’s best for you.  An excellent way to facilitate breathing consciously is to get out into nature and let the intelligence for life that exists there fill you up and soak through your skin.  The thing that nature doesn’t have that we do is free will.  And look at how successful Mother Nature is.  Our own free will takes us down all sorts of rabbit holes and how many of you reading this have said to yourself, “Oh, I wish I hadn’t done that” or “I wish I had!” and all whilst ignoring that voice of wisdom in your head?  So, breathe, energize yourself and listen past the chatter.
2. TRY SOMETHING NEW.  Model successful entrepreneurs, take advantage of all the info there is available across the web, try new stuff  –  A-LOT!  This pushes you but it will also ignite your imagination and creativity. Finding and following specialists like Carrie here, to help you with your marketing and selling is essential.  By employing her ideas, my creativity has soared and that’s just fab for my business.
3. GET A COACH – the best one you can afford.  Being an adult in business can be a lonely and vulnerable place at times, but I liken it to walking up a mountain.  You can give up as many times as you want as long as you just keep going and it’s much easier to do when you have someone supportive at your side.  A good coach won’t tell you what to do, a good coach will create the space for you to find your own answers and reconnect you with your incredible wealth of resources.

One of the coaches I work with says, “You’re not afraid of what you think you’re afraid of, you’re afraid of what you think” (Michael Neill) and I take that with me to my own place beyond fear to answer my own what if’s and set my course for entrepreneurial heaven.

You coming?

~~~

Viv Barclay is a Coach and NLP Practitioner based in the UK. You can find out more about Viv, her life and work here.

By guest expert Tanya Geisler

In July I relaunched my website. You can see the “how” here but in a groovy nutshell, it was OFF. THE. HOOK.

The core of my work as a Business and Life Coach is about having my clients step into the starring roles of their lives. Which became the narrative of the new site. And so naturally, it was the theme of the launch. I invited visitors to submit short videos articulating what having them step into the starring roles of their own lives would open up for them. And the winning submission (based on judging from my personal panel of experts) would receive a glorious swag bag teeming with digital products from some of my very favourite women entrepreneurs (including the sublime Ms. Carrie Klassen).

Value of the swagbag = >$1100.

What a blast it was…AND filled with great learnings.

Carrie asked me to share them with her beloved readers. I’m honoured to do just that.

There are about as many ways to launch (a website, product, offering) as there are launch experts. That is to say, like a billion (give or take a million).

When I’m feeling confused, overwhelmed or unsure (frankly, about ANYTHING), I always lean into my core values.  Doing so helps inform how I want things to go down…in the most “authentic Tanya” way possible.

Here were my parameters…am pleased to report we hit each one outta the park.

I wanted it to be fun.
I wanted it to be inclusive.
I wanted it to be generous.
I wanted it to be unique.
And I did not want it to be all about me.

Which brings me to my next learning.

Get used to being all about you. Given the last point above, this was a hard one to swallow. I got mighty sick of seeing my photo, my name and myself everywhere with all the FB shares and RTs. I was incredibly grateful for all the accolades, and started to get a little shy about all the attention. This was surprising to me and bit problematic particularly in the days following the launch. And given there was a competition component to the offer, I really did need to keep the momentum going. And I just didn’t really have it in me.

Lesson: next time I launch ANYTHING, I will automate. I will pre-write tweets, posts, etc and have them queued up so that they’re doing my work while I can hide under my duvet.

It’s beyond fabulous to have goals (I’m a coach, so that much I do know). Make up a number for what you want to aim for: 150 new subscriptions, 50 people signed up for your offer…whatever. (Don’t forget to get clear about why that’s important to you). And go for it.

Then celebrate who DOES show up, even if it’s not your goal number. These people want to be here. For what YOU have.

Ultimately, try not to get bogged down by the numbers, be they high or low. Hoopla is hoopla. Your people are the ones that stick around once the confetti’s been swept up.

No launch (of anything) can be done in isolation. That’s just a fact. The good news is that people want to see you succeed.  They want to help.

You just need to ask. {Did those words strike terror in your heart? Read on.}

There is an art to the ask and it’s very simple.

Ask concisely, clearly, respectfully, and in integrity.

Who? Well, someone who will be amenable to the request, natch.

Be aware that a “no” is likely more of a reflection on the askee’s time constraints than anything to do with you and your launch (and they’ll say so…believe them). And while we’re talking about time constraints, be specific about how much time you’re asking for AND make it as easy as possible for them to say yes: if you’re looking for support in getting the word out, pre-write them some tweets for them to tweak and plug into their Hootsuite. They want to support you, not strategize your execution.

It’s not gonna be perfect…you can take that to the bank (though cash is oh so much more elegant). Here’s the thing: you’re so much more prepared than you think, and it’s probably already 90% there.

And let’s get this straight, 90% is still an A grade. If a 90% isn’t good enough for you, you can always make up the extra credits down the road. And by golly, your people will be grateful you got over yourself. Your good work is what they’re waiting for. Dare you deny them what they want simply because of 10%? Didn’t think so, Sunshine.

Learn from the 10% and rock it out differently next time.

+++++++++++++++

Tanya Geisler is a CTI-certified coach (also known as “a catalyst, not a therapist”), the author of The Joy Pages, creator of Board of Your Life, a speaker, and champion of clarity, action and achievement. Life is a grand production…and it’s time for you to step into your starring role. www.tanyageisler.com.