Why Wait?

I had a conversation at the airport with someone about the big lottery a few weeks ago. He was reflecting on what he would do with the money, and then he said something that struck me.
“That’s really why we play the lottery. It lets us dream.”

Wait. Why do we need a piece of paper with numbers to dream?

I say keep buying your dream numbers if that’s what it takes to get your creative brain to think about what you truly want out of life.
But why wait? Do it now.
Challenge yourself. What would you buy? Why? What would you do if you were not required to be at a J.O.B. daily?

Get creative, have fun, and really put yourself there.

Now, what’s holding you back? If what you wake up to daily is not what you love, change it. If you would buy a big plot of land and have five buildings, bust your ass and find a way. Maybe you don’t do it all in one shot, but you could get the land first, pay it off, and build your dream place one building at a time.

If your heart, your passion, your love, and your values are not what you do for work, find a new one or do your own thing.

We get stuck in the rut of what society says is normal. Job, car, mortgage.

“I won’t be conforming to the working man’s monotony” From Rain by Ben Badger

Ben BadgerIf you’re into traveling but your job only lets you travel on vacations the one or two weeks a year that you have vacation days, get a job that requires you to travel. Save your points and go where the road and your heart lead on your days off or build in days while you are already there. Here’s an idea: skip the house, get an RV, and take off on a journey working as you go or create a way to earn your money while you travel.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that you walk into work tomorrow and tell your boss what you really think. I’m not gonna lie, this road is not an easy one. You’ll have people tell you that you are crazy and to get your head out of the sky. You may have to work that job you hate five days a week and another job at night and on the weekends. You may have to be a mom, balancing your time between work and family and friends while you go to school online or at night. *SIDE NOTE: This one section here is another whole blog on its own. I really feel the need to give more disclaimers about making sacrifices and going for it. In the entrepreneurial community, I think there is a lack of thought toward being okay with not making it before you try and make it.

You jump when you can afford to drown” Gary Vaynerchuck (look for that blog soon!)

When you’re in the “I’m doing this, digging in the trenches” mode, you are going to get tired. You are going to hit walls. You will face things that will make you question what the hell you’re doing.

Don’t quit. Don’t give in. Plant your feet. Ground your emotions. Pull out your dream paper. Remind yourself what you want, why you want it, and get back to work, busting your ass and making it happen.

Look at your bigger picture and look how far you have come. Don’t let a minor setback derail your whole dream.

One last thought. You can’t do this alone.

A single warrior doesn’t win a battle. Surround yourself with people. The kind of people who breathe life into your soul, not the kind the suck the life out of you. Diversify your personal circle. Find people who are smarter than you, people who are talented in different ways than you. People who will inspire, not tear down. People who will ask you the toughest questions and hold you accountable.

If you don’t know those people, find them. We live in a digitally connected world. Find inspiration and strength in the books you read, the podcasts you listen to, the people you follow on social media. (On that last one. Don’t just follow. Engage and connect. Reach out to the author you just read or the speaker you just heard and let them know they inspired you. Ask them questions, talk to the unreachable. They might surprise you.)

Feed your soul

Read books! In your field, about business, about social media, and throw in a nonfiction every now and then.

Listen!

Podcasts! Man, they are everywhere on every subject. Listen when you wait, listen when you drive, listen while you’re working that gotta do job until you get to your wanna do life.

Music! Music feeds your mood and your soul. Have a variety of playlists. Work, workout, dream, inspiration, have one for all your moods.

Write! Maybe you’re not a writer. Many people find journaling to be healing. Recording thoughts, ideas, feelings, emotions, and lessons learned. There are also people who have to physically write. Use a google doc, use evernote, heck just use your word processor. As digitally connected as I am, I still use a paper journal.

You be you. Dream big, reach high,
and go get what you want from life.

Okay it has been 14 days. How am I doing on my journey?

Well, I feel incredible. I have more energy, more brainpower, and I’m sleeping better. (This is a big deal, because I have never been a good sleeper. Ever. )

Have I been perfect?

No. But I tried, and that’s the important part.   In some areas, I exceeded my expectations for my 10 things to do list. In the exercise area,  I have been exercising three-to four times per week. I’ve taken  bike rides alone and with my family, I’ve been working out at the Y, and I’ve been doing yoga.

In the spiritual area, I spent an amazing two days, learning and growing as a leader, surrounded by friends. It was simply amazing.

I have never been so fired up & focused on organizing. I did however, manage to take on the task of sorting through my other child’s clothes.

So what’s next?

I’m determined to keep trying diligently to hold to my original list of 10, creating for myself more healthy habits, and adding this new list:

1. Continue my task of building endurance on my bicycle, by riding three or four times per week.

2. Add a few core strengthening exercises on my TheraBall.

3. Find a way to pay forward, gifts of grace and mercy that have been bestowed upon me in the past.

4. Find time to read outside for at least an hour per day

5. Go out of my way to call, write, or connect in some way to an estranged family member. (Or two.)

6. Fill a box with things that will bless someone else, and give it to them.

7. Find and cook one new healthy recipe. (This is sparked by my new and bad obsession. I learned how to make homemade caramel from chef & caterer Cindy Vescovi! – It was so good, but didn’t fit well into my being good plan!)

8.  Make an effort to find a way to simplify my life in at least two ways. (Again, suggestions welcomed.)

9. Go on a date with my husband.

10. Play a board game with my kids.

This is my list, I welcome you to use it or make your own. But follow with me on this journey, to make our lives better, physically, mentally and spiritually. I am really excited about upcoming posts from my team, with advice in every area of this journey. Be watching.

Let’s Do This Together

Recently, I’ve seen a surge in people wanting to get healthy. More of my friends are checking into the gym and posting pictures of their calories burned on those personal readers. Usually we see this spike in fitness consciousness around New Year’s. I am not sure what has sparked it in others but, I know what has sparked it in me.

I have 52 days to make a difference in my overall health. WHY?  I need to be stronger — physically and mentally because having a medical procedure and wanting to be in the best shape possible. I got to thinking about it and came to realize that health is not just about my body. So I made a list of the areas of health I wanted to improve: Physical strength, nutritional health, mental health, household and office organization, spiritual health. None of these is an easy area to conquer.

Many of us have had an “I’m done living like this moment.” Maybe it was losing your keys or an important paper again. Maybe it was being out of breath before you hit the end of the block when you kids wanted to take a bike ride with you. Maybe it was not having anything to wear because every pair of pants you own gives you a muffin top.  Like you, I have felt this way. I know the proper behaviors to take to be good, but somehow just can’t get it done.

At a retreat with Kimberly Delcoco, life and business coach, we set goals for ourselves and made dream boards or notebooks to help us visualize what those goals looked like at the end. But dreaming and visualizing are not enough, she said. We can’t go it alone. Think of your dream team. Who or what type of person do you need to make this happen? Personal trainer, nutritionist, organizational specialist, doctor, lawyer, priest… Who you need on your team depends on both your goals and personality.

So I have asked some key people to help me with this 52-day journey to an all-around healthier me.  Bonnie Schnautz, CNHP, Kimberly Delcoco, Talina Norris-RyderBrenda Hughes, and Stacey Shanks, E-RYT, RCYT, just to name a few. But not just to help me. I asked them to help US to do this TOGETHER!

So join me over the next 52 days. Start small. Here is my start small goal list for the next 2 days:

1. Dink 1 more glass of water than I did yesterday.

2. Drink 1 less sweet drink (soda, lemonade, or tea).

3.  Take 1 extra flight of stairs or park at the end of a parking lot and walk the extra distance.

4. Eat 2-3 more raw fruits or veggies over the day, than I did yesterday.

5. Remember to take my medications and vitamins.

6. Call, text, or post to a friend that I haven’t spoken to in at least 6 months and just say hi.

7. Give myself a beauty treat: facial mask, foot soak, deep sea scrub, cooling cucumber eye rest, be creative but be healthy and healing to my skin.

8. Pick up, sort and organize 1 drawer, cabinet or small space. Donate unused items and throw away clutter.

9. Start on 1 book for fun and 1 to learn something new.

10. Write. Write from my heart, to myself, to the air, to the universe.

Please let me know if you want to join us on this mission to strengthen our bodies and souls. Let me know if you have a skill and want to be a guest blogger to help me and others on the journey. Post both below! Remember don’t overwhelm yourself. Be realistic and know you are not alone in this.

 


Let's Do This Together

Recently, I’ve seen a surge in people wanting to get healthy. More of my friends are checking into the gym and posting pictures of their calories burned on those personal readers. Usually we see this spike in fitness consciousness around New Year’s. I am not sure what has sparked it in others but, I know what has sparked it in me.

I have 52 days to make a difference in my overall health. WHY?  I need to be stronger — physically and mentally because having a medical procedure and wanting to be in the best shape possible. I got to thinking about it and came to realize that health is not just about my body. So I made a list of the areas of health I wanted to improve: Physical strength, nutritional health, mental health, household and office organization, spiritual health. None of these is an easy area to conquer.

Many of us have had an “I’m done living like this moment.” Maybe it was losing your keys or an important paper again. Maybe it was being out of breath before you hit the end of the block when you kids wanted to take a bike ride with you. Maybe it was not having anything to wear because every pair of pants you own gives you a muffin top.  Like you, I have felt this way. I know the proper behaviors to take to be good, but somehow just can’t get it done.

At a retreat with Kimberly Delcoco, life and business coach, we set goals for ourselves and made dream boards or notebooks to help us visualize what those goals looked like at the end. But dreaming and visualizing are not enough, she said. We can’t go it alone. Think of your dream team. Who or what type of person do you need to make this happen? Personal trainer, nutritionist, organizational specialist, doctor, lawyer, priest… Who you need on your team depends on both your goals and personality.

So I have asked some key people to help me with this 52-day journey to an all-around healthier me.  Bonnie Schnautz, CNHP, Kimberly Delcoco, Talina Norris-RyderBrenda Hughes, and Stacey Shanks, E-RYT, RCYT, just to name a few. But not just to help me. I asked them to help US to do this TOGETHER!

So join me over the next 52 days. Start small. Here is my start small goal list for the next 2 days:

1. Dink 1 more glass of water than I did yesterday.

2. Drink 1 less sweet drink (soda, lemonade, or tea).

3.  Take 1 extra flight of stairs or park at the end of a parking lot and walk the extra distance.

4. Eat 2-3 more raw fruits or veggies over the day, than I did yesterday.

5. Remember to take my medications and vitamins.

6. Call, text, or post to a friend that I haven’t spoken to in at least 6 months and just say hi.

7. Give myself a beauty treat: facial mask, foot soak, deep sea scrub, cooling cucumber eye rest, be creative but be healthy and healing to my skin.

8. Pick up, sort and organize 1 drawer, cabinet or small space. Donate unused items and throw away clutter.

9. Start on 1 book for fun and 1 to learn something new.

10. Write. Write from my heart, to myself, to the air, to the universe.

Please let me know if you want to join us on this mission to strengthen our bodies and souls. Let me know if you have a skill and want to be a guest blogger to help me and others on the journey. Post both below! Remember don’t overwhelm yourself. Be realistic and know you are not alone in this.

 


“It’s All About the People”

I’ve been reading Almost isn’t Good Enough: The Human Connection Changes Everything. This isn’t  a book review. That will come soon. This book is written to people who are running or involved in not-for-profit work.  The author is standing the world of not-for-profit on its ear and challenging some long standing traditional view of how a not-for-profit is run, and how it takes on the basic clear task of following a mission.

As stated, this is not a book review.  Wayne Elsey is a proven man in the world of for-profit business and not-for-profit organizations. He “gets it” on such a deep level.  I’m reading this book because of my interest in both worlds. So let’s look at some takeaways that I’ve gathered so far from this book that can be applied to any business.

Making a difference
When teaching in the corporate world, I ask companies about their philanthropic works. I often suggest that they strategically support those not-for-profits and the community with their online influence.

“Making a difference in the life of someone else, though, is something that everyone has the capacity to do, regardless of where one is in life and career…

It will create energy around you that will attract others, change lives and offer the opportunity to leave a legacy of change in the midst of a culture of access. “

Clarity

“Success, wealth, and impact are not philosophical ideas to be debated within the halls of academia. They are characteristics grounded in a focused effort over a long period of time that lead to transformation.”

Many times we associate the words mission statement with not-for-profit, but a business should have one too. If you’re not clearly focused on achieving that mission, you’re just working.  If you find the clarity of your mission and follow it, you will be on the path of success, wealth and impact.

Valuing People


Janet Effron wrote a great post called: Company Policy in there she asked

“Is it your practice to hire stupid people?”

That stuck with me. When I work with companies, I often ask to train, not only upper management, public relations,  marketing, and sales people to use the tools of social media, I ask to train support staff, and a variety of other positions within a corporation.  Why? Because, people are what make your company strong. It is the people that you have trusted to represent your brand in the real world, that make your company shine. You should trust that they will make you proud online too, with proper training of you policy, goals, and a clearly defined strategy.

It is our “belief that everyone is at the table because they bring something of value. To that end they are expected to bring that value everyday” You want to “create a culture of empowerment…

It’s vital that we not create barriers to conversations but empower the experts we retain to perform at their highest levels.”’

Are you creating a culture of empowerment, and valuing the people you have chosen to be a part of your business? Do you give them a platform in which to express their knowledge of your product or service, and to become branded themselves as an expert in you field of business; and thus your business is branded thru them? Or do you simply let the PR guys get this new media stuff?Wayne “gets it” no matter if you are talking for-profit or not-for-profit :

“It’s all about the people.”

Reading with my eyes closed

I underwent the procedure to remove my stents today. The CT scan

was inconclusive so the hope was to remove the stents and see if that was the problem. As I mentioned before this is too soon for them to cone out. There are still lots of stone fragments that need to come out. Without

 

the stents this will be a painful process. I came home with aspirations of reading. I have three must reads in my possession.

Content rules by CC Chapman and Ann Handley.

Almost isn’t good enough by Wayne Elsey.

Branding Yourself by Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacy.

What I have managed to do is bend the binding, mark myself up with my highlighter, and place a sleep scar on my face in the impression of a book corner. I have tried to read, but the medication has other plans for today.

So now I bid you all good night. (This post was written quickly before I fell asleep again and on my iPhone. )

*
DISCLOSURE:I borrowed the book Content Rules from our local Library, I purchased Almost Isn’t Good Enough from Amazon, and I was sent a free copy of Branding Yourself, because I bugged Erik to death, and because I will be reviewing it for our local Business journal.  The Links to each book are in fact affiliate links to my Amazon account, where if you click that link and purchase the book I am suppose to receive a small percent. (Big deal. Google it, order it from your local book seller, who cares as long as you invest in one or all of these books to enrich yourself.)

5 things to consider before you decide to promote your brand online:

Letting go of control

Sometimes, those of us who habitually spread ourselves too thin over too many things have to let go.

We like to feel like we are in control in business, life, and relationships.  We micro manage the details to the extreme. And because of this dedication to detail we seem to be successful.

It’s an illusion

The ‘control’ we think we have is an illusion.  We think we are on the right path with our life and career, that we have the reigns of destiny.

One drunk driver, one heart attack, one stray bullet can bring our well crafted, well intended futures crumbling down around us.  Often it’s not until then, when we are left to sift through the rubble, that we realize we never had control in the first place.

I have control of my brand, and my business

No you don’t. With the wide-spread acceptance of social media as a means of communication, a business can no longer hide behind the illusion that it’s in control of its brand by choosing to moderate comments or by choosing not be on social media at all.

Deleting negative posts

When a brand decides to maintain brand reputation by deleting negative feedback, let’s say for example on their Facebook fan page, they assume they are controlling the conversation.  The problem is that the conversation stops between the brand and the consumer and continues consumer to consumer.

People will continue to speak about good and bad service that your brand has provided even if you are not willing to participate.

5 things to consider before you decide

to promote your brand online:

  1. Are you willing to give up control?
  2. Are you prepared to deal with negative feedback?
  3. Do you have a purpose?
  4. What are your goals?
  5. What are you willing to risk?

If you’ve not thought through your goals and laid out a plan that fits your purpose, then you’d better be willing to risk it all.

Making Healthier Choices – Carbs and Fat

This week I’m starting my new year off TODAY, by making healthier choices.  Today’s choice is really a clever switch.

It is important to reduce, not eliminate totally,  your fats and carbs if you are looking to maintain a healthier eating style. I hate the fad diets that starve you of good fats, and all carbs. (I’m a carbaholic!) 

Here’s a secret:

If you’re replacing water for soda, you increase water consumption and decreased carbs.  (Monday’s Post)

By replacing fries with carrots and celery, you increase your vegetable consumption and decreased your fats. (Tuesday’s post)

Do you find it hard to limit yourself? When it is a forbidden item, do you want it more?

If you start by slowly replacing the carbs and fats with great tasting fruits and vegetables, you will loose a portion of the desire for the bad foods. By simply focusing on adding, you will really be eliminating.  Why don’t you join me? Start today.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE7szSLE924&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0]

Company Policy

Guest Blogger today:

Janet Laane Effron ( @janet_frg )

She is a Managing Principal of the Four Rivers Group where she works to support businesses and educational groups in the selection and implementation of processes & technologies to enable organizational learning and informational management. 

 Company Policy

I was asked, recently, about the advisability of including the Blog function in a Sharepoint implementation.  The answer to that lies in a question, the same primary question that needs to be asked if your business is looking Twitter, Yammer, an in-house wiki, or a host of other Social Media tools.  The question is a simple one:

 Is it your company policy to hire stupid people?

 I’m guessing the answer to that question is “no”; that your HR policy is to hire talented, capable, highly motivated professionals who want to excel in their careers.  Assuming that is the case, then there are some other questions to consider:

 Do you want to leverage the talents of your workforce to achieve the greatest business results?

 Do you want employees to have access to the best in-house knowledge to support their performance?

 Do you want to increase efficiency and productivity?

 In this case, I’m guessing the answer is “yes”. 

 So, if you’ve hired intelligent, motivated adult professionals, maybe you need to let them be just that.  Given the opportunity, it is likely a good portion of them will have expertise and insight that they want to share.  And if that expertise is shared on an in-house blog or wiki, then that means the next time someone needs input or advice they’ll be able to track down the experts in the business instead of taking Hobson’s Choice, merely asking the person at the water cooler or in the office down the hall.  And as questions get asked, it’s good odds that more and more of the most needed information will end up on your blog or wiki so that the experts only have to put it out there once, not in twenty separate conversations.  More efficient for the information seekers; more efficient for the information sources.

 Now, of course it is not that simple.  It’s easy to fritter away time on blog posts, micro-blogging or wikis.  It’s easy to spend too much with social media and not enough time on projects.  But you and the rest of your organization face this already, with phone calls, email, the internet, impromptu conversations in the hallway….  Wasting time is a product of people and the company culture, not of tools. 

 In the same way, success of Social Media tools will also hinge on your business culture.  If you have a culture of information hoarding, or of viewing “failure” as worse than inaction, then the best tools in the world will not be effective in leveraging the knowledge and talents of your employees.   Because, as was said before, your employees aren’t stupid.  They’ll contribute and innovate in direct proportion to what your corporate culture really values.

Building Brand Advocates

This article is featured in this month’s Evansville Business Journal.

How does a company build its presence on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedln? What are your customers most interested in: what you say about your company or what your friends and their friends say? Kyle Lacy, author of “Twitter Marketing for Dummies,” often says, “I don’t care about your clients.  I care about their friends:’

How do you find and empower brand advocates? Start from within. Your best and most loyal brand advocates are sitting across the cubicle from you. Stand up look over the cubicle wall and say “Hello” to your next brand advocate. Wait, she’s not in sales! He’s not part of the management team! He doesn’t deal directly with customers! However, who are his friends? Or her friends’ friends?

Companies across the nation are scrambling to find and create ways for their brand advocates to show themselves and endorse their brand or product. The companies that do it best start from within. They don’t hire a single person to do all their social media. It is a team effort, built with a strong foundation in goals and strategic planning. Part of that foundation is relying upon the very men and women who make up the work force of the company to tell the story like it is. Today’s customers can spot a smooth campaign. They will trust an authentic voice – from you and your employees. Customers appreciate real engagement, with real people, in real companies.

Your employees are your biggest brand advocates. When you remind them that you believe in them, they will want to tell others they believe in you. Not only that, your employees will be more loyal and dedicated to you, their work and your company.

Put goals, policy and strategy in place before implementing any social media programs. Thorough training is essential for everyone involved so all will advocate well. After these tasks are complete, you start the process of building your advocate base.

Empower advocates from within your company ranks for your social media. The stronger relationships you build with your employees and your customers will position you to engage in the 21 st century. Oh, and it will build your bottom line sales numbers, too. EBJ