She Owns It

Celebrating, Connecting, and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

5 Reasons Why Supporting Other Women is the Smartest Move You’ll Make in Business (and Life) This Year by @andrea_schroll8

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Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

by Andrea Schroll

As driven, ambitious women, we want nothing more than to create a life of fulfillment and freedom, but let’s face it – we all have our hot mess moments. Moments we are trying to pour from that empty cup, rushing around trying to get it all done and still maintain some level of sanity to be a good mom, spouse, partner, friend…a functioning human being.

The same cycle; over and over again. Rinse and repeat.

And we keep going. One foot in front of the other, with the occasional stumble over our own two feet.

Welcome to the everyday grind and hustle of a determined, empowered woman. Am I right?

The truth is, at some point along your journey, this very same cycle may get the best of you, making it a challenge to maintain a positive, motivated, entrepreneurial spirit. This is the primary reason why supporting other women is the smartest move you’ll make in business and life in 2019.

Let me break it down for you.

1. Entrepreneurship can get lonely.

If you don’t engage or network with like-minded entrepreneurs, don’t have many social connections with people who understand your entrepreneurial mindset or lifestyle and/or you don’t totally have support network of people who have your back no matter how many times your business goals change, things can get pretty lonely as a boss babe. One sure shot way of making sure you’re not living la vida lonely is to start connecting and supporting other women – in business and in life. Real, authentic connections can totally change the game and make for a more positive, fruitful business experience. Invest the time in supporting and empowering other women who are on the same path as you. And one of the best things about this is that you can do it for free.

2. It’s easy to isolate, get lost on social media and breed inaction.

Going down the rabbit hole of scrolling social media, comparing yourself to other women, online shopping as a coping mechanism or distraction and not being productive are just a few of the primary barriers to getting things done and building your empire. The thing is, all of these things are easier – a whole lot easier than stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a leap of faith toward building your social network within your business. While all of the shiny distractions can offer instant gratification and secondary gain (avoidance, excuses, etc), they will not benefit your business or your life. So break the cycle, create a game plan, build your squad and be on your way to a more fulfilling year in business.

3. Building relationships and community will increase confidence.

Remember your last hot mess moment? Well, what good is it if you don’t have other women to share it with. If you think you’re alone in whatever struggle you may be facing from time to time, you’re not. There are millions of women just like you waiting to connect with someone who is also perfectly imperfect. I encourage you to reach out and connect with others in a way that feels good to you. A strong community of women who build each other up may likely be the confidence boost you’ve been searching for, and exactly what you need to crush your goals this year.

4. You’ll be happier and more productive.

Supporting other women actually does have the power to transform your life. When you’re kind to someone else, you’re also being kind to yourself. Being mean or judgmental expels a great deal of negative energy, and rarely works in your favor (if ever). That negative energy can be completely exhausting, but most people don’t even realize it. Having the certainty to pay someone else a compliment is a huge testament to your character. At the end of the day, there is no competition. Once you see this, harness your strengths and support others, you can truly allow yourself to grow into your happiness. Your motivation will increase and you will become more productive; ultimately tackling your personal and professional goals with more enjoyment and less stress.

5. Personal growth, awareness and inspiration.

When you connect, collaborate and support other women, you begin to recognize your own strengths and quickly learn about what motivates you. This internal revelation will be so powerful and will highlight your true, authentic qualities, giving you the perfect opportunity for personal development and growth. There is so much to learn from one another. Letting go of your ego and having an open mind can open up monumental possibilities. Be open to learning from others’ and their experiences, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness — quite the opposite, in fact. Show your inner strength and reach out for support when you need it. So often, we are clouded by external validation, judgment, opinions, etc. Now is your chance to step into your light as an empowered, supportive woman. Put forth your positive characteristics and you’ll inspire others to do the same — it really is contagious.

 

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Andrea Schroll is a licensed psychotherapist, business mentor and the founder of Soul-Hustle – a multidimensional brand centered on female empowerment in entrepreneurship. As a spiritual entrepreneur, Andrea blends cognitive psychology, intuition, mindfulness practices, linguistic finesse, and heart and soul into her work to help people shift their habits, energy and success with life changing results.

How to Build a Thriving Online Community by @AnnaMcAfee

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Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash

by Anna McAfee | Featured Contributor

Online communities are all around us, and changing the way we work and live.  As humans we seek connection and often find ourselves participating in and contributing to online communities.  Not just for humans but for brands and businesses its an ever increasing need to create a following and engagement with your end user.  As online networking evolves these online communities become integral to that way in which we connect to one another in the digital world. 

In 2017 I intentionally created an offline community in my local area called #LinkedInLocal.  Shortly after I unintentionally co-founded a movement with the same hashtag created an online community of hosts.  We were and continue to be a tribe of LinkedIn users looking to follow the core idea and share the value and experiences among setting up local groups across the globe.  This has continued to grow to over 1000 host members globally, with 15-20 new hosts being added each week.  Along the way I learned some valuable lessons on what makes online communities thrive. 

Whatever you medium is for creating an online community, be it a Facebook group, Slack, or a LinkedIn group, here are some tips in order to get your community growing and thriving. 

Create a space for shared values where people can hang-out

When it comes to shared values private online groups can create a sense of belonging for users.  United by an idea or a cause, they are great opportunity for digital users to network.  Online communities should foster the sharing of ideas so in order to do this the community needs some shared values or themes.  It could be working moms, industry or location-based entrepreneurs, or hobby-based tribes, but this should be clear in both name and description. 

Say hello and value new members

New members help spread the message and continue the spread of ideas in a thriving online community.  They are integral to its success.  Its important to welcome new members to foster an environment where they feel valued.  We are all member of so many online groups, the ones in which we feel significantly more welcome will really help engagement.  This can happen in the form of a welcome message, and opportunity to introduce themselves, and communicated values around a welcoming environment. 

Facebook has a great tag within groups call New Member  for the first two weeks upon joining.  This helps identify those who are new and need more support, and well as context on their questions.  Slack also provides the ability to set up bots that welcome members as they join the community.  In the words of Maya Angelou, “its not about what you say, its how you make them feel”, so appreciation will go a long way.

Make the space safe

Privacy is an issue for everyone, so showing that your community values and respects that will help members feel safe.  Make the group rules on bullying and worrying discussions very clear and stick to them.  Protection from spammers is another matter you need to deal with.  Be strict on the pitching rules in the group and remove anyone who continues to not comply.  People often use closed online communities to open up and share thoughts on matters they don’t want those close to them to know about.  Ensure your online space has that in mind. 

Be consistent and show up

No one feels valued or engaged in a community that lacks consistent content, questions or the sharing of ideas.  Have certain days for types of content and schedule these, for example the

Ability to share instagram handles or offers in a Thursday thread.  Keep members up to date about what’s going on and create content that will either help add to their businesses or help them learn.  Use scheduling tools to make things easier but make sure the content is engaging, and not just external links or sales messages.  Content should be engaging and consistency related to the shared values and message of the group.

Its not just about creating content, but also answering questions. If necessary appoint some community ambassadors or champions to moderate and answer messages.  This will help ensure everyone is getting the information they need at the right time. 

Be organised

Within any community there are common questions that come up time and time again.  Seek to create resources that help answer these questions and add them as pinned posts, or even share as a mailer if you have a list to support your online community.   Use the files section in order to add regular documents.  Use learning features to put together modules or units from content in the group, such as previous live videos.  Online events are another way to foster community for connection, the sharing of ideas, and help facilitate connection.

Reward your best community members

Facebook now have some incredible tools to help you really make your community members and followers feel valued.  Slack and other providers do have recognition emojis, but LinkedIn groups have a lot to learn from Facebook’s badge system.  They’ve done their research and these badges are adding a lot of value to communities. These can be switched off but here are some of the great badges that help community moderators and members feel truly valued.

Facebook Group Badges

  • Group Anniversary: Celebrates the time a member has invested in your group, appearing on their anniversary day of becoming a group member
  • Conversation Starter: Recognizes members who start meaningful group discussions. This badge will appear for members whose posts receive the most likes and comments in the past month.
  • Founding Member: Acknowledges early members who have helped grow your group.
  • Conversation Booster: Recognizes people who frequently generate meaningful discussions can encourage other group members to contribute more
  • Visual Storyteller: Recognizes members for unique contributions to the community can help spark conversation within the community. It will appear for members who share photos or videos that group members find valuable.
  • Greeter: Provides new members with information and support upon joining can help them feel welcomed. The greeter badge will appear for members who frequently respond to new members’ posts and comments.
  • Link Curator: Recognizing members who help bring topic-relevant news to the group, the link curator badge will appear to members who share quality, external content with their group that receives good engagement
  • Rising Star: Recognizing new members within their first month with the group that contribute to the community


Facebook groups also offer a section of members with things in common, such as common friends or liked pages.  This provides a great conversation starter and a way to connect.  Facebook Pages offer the ability to add Top Fan badges and Valued Commenter.  The “Valued Commenter” badge is awarded when someone comments frequently on a Page, and the “Top Fan” badge is acquired when a fan is one of the most active.

CoWorking is Cutting Edge ( and Cool! A Primer. ) by @SBSLEducSoltns

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Coworking is a remarkable concept that will enable many additional citizens to pursue their callings in entrepreneurship without the pratfalls of the prior 2 eras, the blue & white collar industrial ages.

 

No longer will the price tag, complexity, or fear of having to sign a multi-year lease, or rent to (eventually) own agreement be a stumbling block to the dream to be in control of your income stream(s); you’re now sharing costs & concurrently joining an entrepreneurial tribe.

 

What is coworking?!

 

This is a superb definition

 

Think it over: We’ve really only had this option for little more than a decade. Running parallel to the astonishing rise of social media & the proliferation of smart devices, co-working grew from humble beginnings.

 

At this point, choosing to become a member of an existing co working space, whether it’s new, or well established, tags you as a late ‘early adopter’ or at the onset of the ‘early majority’ class(es) of business owner/professional.

 

Intrigued to know more?  Please click here.

 

Options for your business’ physical presence

 

All things being equal, there are 4 choices:

 

  • Work from home.  The flexibility of merging personal & professional lives under 1 roof always has appeal. Yet, if you’re a mom-preneur, have other neighborly commitments, or are easily distracted by the mass media, you might want to ask the hard question: will you be productive, or will you be ‘’busy’ ?

 

  • The ‘coffee shop’ = office.  Whether its an independent cafe, Starbucks, or Panera Bread, maybe you arrive early in the AM, order coffee & bagel, set up your notebook/tablet in the far corner near an outlet, & start working; that remains viable for some amongst us.

  • Conventional ‘bricks & mortar’.  Some business models & professions simply must have their own physical space:  Medical office/clinic? Restaurant/bar? Retail, esp. a clothing store?

 

  • And, then, there’s coworking. This article breaks down common options that most any space in your metro area will, or already is, offering.

 

Click to Tweet

 

“We break down walls so that we can breakthrough in our businesses!”

 

— Cynthia Chiam

 

Plusses of Coworking

 

Choose from the 4 above; none are ‘wrong’ – each option will appeal to someone & that someone might be you. However, let’s focus on the benefits of coworking.

 

You quite likely will …

  • Save a significant amount
  • Opt into various perks ( who doesn’t love ‘complimentary’ coffee?!? )
  • Find flexibility ( month to month arrangements are commonplace )
  • Learn how easy it can be to ‘barter’ services &/or products with your community/tribe

 

What if …

 

… co working hasn’t yet come to my area?

Take heart: many visionaries haven’t yet pushed outside the top 25 metros.

As always, there’s a trail of ‘breadcrumbs’ that the profit motive will enable, bringing facilities to your city.

 

One pioneer shares his vision – click here to read a short Q&A w/ him.

 

How Does Co Working fit into the Gig Economy?

 

Jim Collins, in his terrific book, ‘Great by Choice’, taught us to be able to zoom in & zoom out.

 

Let’s zoom out …

 

… & answer this Q.

 

  • 1st, co working is similarly flexible.  Do your research & check as many options as exist in your area; most spaces heartily welcome entrepreneurs who don’t want to sign multi-year deals.
  • 2nd, the Gig economy spotlights project ( ‘gig’ ) based ‘work’; so does a co-working space. You can run this type of business easily & find much joy in the process
  • Next, this economy encourages interdependence, as does the coworking option. Your ‘benefits’ ( insurance, investment vehicle/s ) could very well come in a barter agreement with a sales pro who offers them to solopreneurs & sits right next to you in the space.
  • Last, your ability to be cash flow positive is accelerated; you can keep your prices aligned with your ideal avatars & earn more without having to pay steep lease or rent payments.

Suggested Profiles

 

Using hashtag #coworking as a starting point, I suggest 3 Twitter handles worth a follow:

 

Deskmag

 

kowrkdotcom

 

New Worker Magazine

 

If you happen to be in, or looking to move to, central OH …

… the options are a plenty! Here’s a quick primer on some tip top choices:

 

CoHatch

 

Brickhouse Blue

 

Haven Collective

 

&  Serendipity Labs

 

Fantastic ‘All in 1’ Resources

 

As with any topic, the internet is a treasure trove of goodness, when used for altruistic means.

 

Co-working is no exception to this mantra. Here are a handful:

 

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-rise-co-working-spaces/

* the BEST. The infographic on the above from December 2018 is amazing!

 

Top 60 CoWorking Blogs, Websites, & …

 

From coworking spaces to who is …

 

In the Gig Economy, Coworking spaces …

 

In short …

 

  • What exactly is coworking? Let’s explore.
  • 4 options you have for locating your business.
  • The positives of choosing coworking
  • Coworking’s a big trend, yet it’s not everywhere yet. It will be, though. Stay tuned!
  • Coworking & the Gig Economy are ‘fellow travelers’ = deeply interrelated.
  • The Twitterverse, unsurprisingly, has valuable handles worth following

 

Thank YOU for reading!

8 Ways Women Leaders Inspire The Next Generation by @AngeKYoumatter

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Photo by Fox from Pexels

by Angela Kambouris | Featured Contributor

Women throughout history have led through great wisdom. J.K Rowling’s hopeful 2008 Harvard commencement speech, Oprah’s powerful 2018 Golden Globe acceptance speech and Lady Gaga’s 2019 Oscar’s acceptance speech reminding you that if you have a dream, fight for it. There is a discipline for passion, and it is not about how many times you get rejected or fall, it is about how times you stand up, are brave and keep moving forward. As Marilyn Monroe once said, “give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world”.

Inspiring women derive from all walks of life. In today’s world, there is nothing more important than lifting each other up to thrive in success, to empower one another and to dare to lead by being brave in the face of fear.

Women today are CEO’s, entrepreneurs and so much more. When women lead with compassion, they inspire the next generation to rise to great heights than ever before.

Today, it is our responsibility to pay it forward by empowering all women to embrace opportunities and possibilities beyond the limits of their imagination. That within lies the power to reclaim your power, strength, and vulnerability to stand in your truth and propel yourself towards what you want for your life. By planting the seeds, women collectively can stand strong.

Women’s International Day will be celebrated on March 8 this year. It’s a perfect opportunity to celebrate women to better the world. Here are eight ways women leaders inspire the next generation.

 Refusal to stay in a box

Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back. Women who came before us, fought for our freedom and laid the foundation that provides us the platform to honor the truest expression of ourselves today – Coco Chanel forward thinker revolutionalized societal expectations around fashion and relationships, Eleanor Roosevelt First Lady of the United States, independent and outspoken on the rights of women and other humanitarian causes, Indira Gandi the first female  prime minister of India strongly advocated for women’s rights and advanced India on the international stage and Oprah Winfrey had the longest-running daytime talk show on television, broadcast in 145 countries around the world and established her leadership academy for girls. These extraordinary women paved the way for modern movements and created pathways that altered the course of history for all women.

Breakthrough and rise

With so many obstacles on the road to gender equality, women must uplift each other despite culture’s habit of trying to pit us against each other. Women must propel each other forward instead of holding each other back. By harnessing the collective energy of women, you can inspire future and aspiring women leaders.

One project that has brought this to life is the Girl Child Empowerment Trust in Zimbabwe to engender active participation in the upliftment of the girl child, raising awareness of issues impacting girls and creating a common platform for communicating their needs. There is a fundamental understanding that empowering African women and girls in the spheres of economics, education, human rights, and politics has significant advantages, both for the women and their families and their culture.

Be the leader you always were

Leadership always starts with you. As women, you must delve deep into your reflection to truly witness self-love and empowerment. Sustainable success will not come from fitting into anybody else’s mold, its imperative to live your own life and lead like the woman you are.  One cannot lead others, if you cannot lead yourself.

Embracing your feminine energy

As more women enter the C-suite or start their own companies, investing in embracing your feminine energy by trusting intuition, amplifying compassion and embodying patience, leads to a more holistic business. Traditionally women have been encouraged to emulate masculine leadership qualities to climb the corporate ladder however when women step into their true identities with openness, transparency, owning emotions, being clear about values, vulnerabilities and fears, modern audiences embrace the humanness when it comes to leading.

Want to lead like a woman, know your leadership journey

When women are fully aligned with their values, you preserve your energy, create flow states where you become a force for positivity. Conscious and inclusive leaders have stories about how they achieved their success. Sharing the story and your vulnerabilities hold power by connecting authentically with your people, customers, and investors.

Influencing relationships

When it comes to the workplace, women bring tremendous executive social skills that increase team work, they work more egalitarian and focus on bringing out the best in their people. Women encourage a high level of self-awareness and are conscious of the health of their teams. Psychology today supports due to women’s neurological make-up, women are more empathetic and as a result more likely to be better at tapping into their senses about how others are reacting.

Women who tap into their expansive thinking tend to expand strategy to a longer-term view. Women see possibilities through new ideas and innovative thinking, value empathy and collaboration which is part of their hard-wiring. Women leaders express competition differently by influencing relationships rather than hunting for the kill.

Queen Bee phenomenon

Unfortunately, the “queen bee” phenomenon surfaces within organizations as senior-level women distance themselves from junior women to be more accepted by male colleagues. When women snub other women, fail to support each other and communication breakdowns, these environments permeate and stain the fabric of the organization.

To breakthrough cultural experiences of competition rather than collaboration, creating a dedicated space, such as women-owned lunches to share challenges and celebrate success are opportunities within male-dominated industries. When you bring groups of people together, you appreciate that problems are not specific to you but in fact, are collective challenges. Being together creates an improved flow of information and a sense of unity that we are in this together.

Invest in women

Every time a woman brings her personal style confidently, you signal to other women that it is okay. If you want to uplift other women, lead by example. Women bring different flavors to the table and when you recognize excellence in other women, and yourself, you strengthen the capacity to let others shine through you.

Sponsorship is a phenomenal way to capture achievements, create a culture of support, recognizes and celebrates people and as an advocate, you can link them with opportunities on their behalf. It is an excellent way for future leaders to be brought to the attention of executives.

Today, the world demands moments where the power of women’s voices must be heard. Women must be invited to illuminate the world in their unique way. You all have the responsibility and the capacity to stand in your power, embrace your vulnerabilities and amplify your strengths in your approach to empower future generations of women.

How To be More Human on LinkedIn by @annamcafee

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Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

by Anna McAfee | Featured Contributor

You read that right, LinkedIn is growing in both users and massive engagement numbers in engagement.  Its community content is creating an online platform with a more human approach.  The once “forgotten” social media platform is gaining attention among millenials, business owners, and leaders who are online not for recruitment but to grow professionally.  A recent announcement confirmed the release of Live Video this year, which will add to the “human touch” created by native video 18 months ago.  Here are 5 steps to take to get more out of LinkedIn.  

Your LinkedIn profile is not your resume, and its not just for recruitment

LinkedIn has long-held a reputation as a recruitment-focussed platform, and its the reason many of its 610 million users join.  Whilst LinkedIn is still a place for recruiters and job seekers, it is fast becoming THE marketplace for B2B and a great place to build your personal brand. 

Its important to have the right focus on LinkedIn your profile.  If its to grow your business, network with potential customers, or build your online reputation, its important to ensure your profile is buyer focussed, and not the standard resume template you set up when you first created your account.  It should not focus on the job you were once looking for, but focus on attracting a new connection or lead.  A great LinkedIn profile should clearly explain WHAT you help WHO with, your background, your WHY, your values, your key drivers and what unique value you can add.  It should a representation of who you are, not just what you do and represent your personal brand.  It should be visually appealing with a engaging profile image, background image and rich media, such as image and video.

Expand your connection base to further reach new customers

LinkedIn can open many doors when used effectively and with the right mindset.  Its fair to say that there are many potential customers and collaborators out there that you don’t yet know.  LinkedIn is one large virtual networking room with opportunities to meet new collaborators, mentors, clients and service providers.  In order to gain real opportunities you must be open to new connections, but still remain focussed.  For example, if its unlikely that you’re going to do business outside of a specific region then keep your network focussed on people in that area but broaden it to include new connections you have not yet met in person. 

Its important to always approach new connections with a personalised connection request, or a friendly note when you accept theirs.  Never sell in the first instance when connecting.  Build relationships first and get to know your potential buyer and understand their needs.  Be more human in the connections you build.

Photo by Adam Solomon on Unsplash

All you need is 15 minutes a day to get started

15 minutes a day is all it takes to start building engagement and find new customers online. 

We are all busy and spend an increasing amount of time online but LinkedIn needn’t eat into your day.  Engaging for just 15 minutes a day will boost your industry knowledge, help you understand your competitors better, and you’ll meet and build relationships with more connections to help you in your career and life.

Spend 5 minutes in the newsfeed reading content, engaging with content and reach out to people to expand your network.  Engagement means commenting as well as liking, comments help boost the algorithm and build better relationships.  You can add a lot of value to other posts and your own network through intentional comments.  Spend another 5 minutes sending, checking and responding to received connection requests and messages.  Spend the remaining 5 minutes checking your notifications, with updates on recent posts and flags for anyone who has started a new job, has a work anniversary or birthday.  Reach out to these people to engage with them. 

Produce engaging content and participate in hashtag campaigns to expand your reach

Your LinkedIn content should be focussed on engagement as its comments that are most favoured by the algorithm.  Ask questions in your content, raise a different opinion on a topic, and be empathetic to your clients problems and viewpoints.  In all of the forms of content, both posts and pulse articles, storytelling is significantly engaging users.  Telling stories will deepen your audiences’ understanding of what you do, and why.  Video is king right now and live video will only enhance this.

The hashtag campaigns by both LinkedIn and its users have encouraged support among others and sharing within the community.  Examples include #InItTogether by LinkedIn, and #letsgethonest, in which 26 million people shared their failures, weaknesses, and losses via content, on the basis that what we share as humans aren’t perfections, but universal flaws.   Participating in hashtag campaigns will widen your reach, help give you some engaging content ideas, and deepen your relationships.  What works on other social media platforms is necessarily what will work on LinkedIn, so its always good to experiment, and spend some time ‘listening’ to others in the newsfeed and see what else is engaging other users on the platform.

You don’t need to pay for LinkedIn,  a lot can be achieved with a free account

LinkedIn offers some incredible premium products such as Sales Navigator with a bespoke newsfeed, and access to LinkedIn Learning.  Paying for LinkedIn though isn’t necessary to building trust and an engaged following online.  Share text-only posts, native video, combined image/text posts, and upload document to posts for greater engagement.   External links are ok but won’t be favoured by the algorithm so stick to original engaging content for the best reach. 

Traditional Company pages went through a re-brand in 2018 to LinkedIn Pages. 2019 will see more features coming to these pages that will focus on small to medium sized businesses.  Additionally live video will enhance pages and we will see the release of a LinkedIn Events area.  Add buttons for your website or sign up pages, and create showcase pages under the main company page to showcase events, products or areas of your business, and build a following for these specific areas for greater engagement. 

Consumer v. Producer : Which are YOU? by @SBSLEducSoltns

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Stretching your Entrepreneurial Thinking

While entrepreneurs will always consume certain resources, no different from our staff, or other citizens,, we shouldn’t think through a consumer lens nor should we spend precious time being one. So, let’s shake things up!

 

While reading, please invest time to ask yourself some questions. As I often advise mentees, be reflective; forego being reflexive or reactive. The difference is profound.

 

The Consumer

Per Dictionary.com , … origin: 14th C [1375–1425] = “squanderer”

 

What a strong connotation! Do we really desire to have our business(es) associated with this definition, even if its meaning has evolved somewhat over the passage of time?!

 

Why are we ‘encouraged’ , compelled, or even shamed into consuming?

The answer is too complex to address in a blog post, yet, we are able to unravel some characteristics of a consumerist.

 

He/She/They …

 

  • Oft carry a considerable amount of consumer debt
  • Will be watching, listening to, or reading lots of content from the mass media*
  • Quite likely is a side-preneur still receiving a regular paycheck as a W-2’er
  • Fairly often feel uncomfortable discussing economics or talking about money/finances

& …

  • Might use words like ‘retail therapy’, be distressed** , and/or focused on material things

( inc. transactions to make more $ versus building business relationships. )

 

Click to Tweet

 

“Every man is a consumer, and ought to be a producer. He is by constitution expensive, and needs to be rich.”

 

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Sign of a Consumerist

 

Self deception ( vid clip HERE ) is strong; maybe we know in the depths of our soul, by looking at our financial statements, or just in our gut that we are living a consumerist life while building our entrepreneurial venture/s, yet … we outwardly deny it, in our self-talk, our conversations with others, etc.

 

If you do this, you’re not alone. Some signals, both implicit & explicit to home in on & eventually course correct include:

 

  • Not paying off credit cards monthly
  • Driving in a vehicle that you don’t actually own
  • Expensive office space which raises your rates needlessly
  • Not leveraging the countless discount programs/apps/memberships available
  • Buying costly drinks or meals while at events

 

What’ll it Take … a ‘voice of courage’

Laying the groundwork for a major mindset shift will clearly impact all spheres of your business ‘being’ :  heart, mind, spirit/soul, & financial. Yet, it’s still January, and here’s hoping that you invested quality time and treasure creating and then taking action to live out these 2019 mantras, goals, or habit transformations instead.

 

If you’ve not yet carved a line item in your business blueprint for a mentor, a coach, or a niche consultant

( a good friend is ideal for the latter: Cherish Your World/Feng Shui Consultant ),  … now would be a great time!

 

A Producer’s Model

Defined here , with its synonyms including ‘builder’ & ‘creator’; which leads me to ask a few questions:

 

Don’t we all want to be known, in our branding, sales, & marketing, as these things?

Why would we knowingly choose its opposite?

 

Which characteristics might ID this type of business pro?

 

He/She/They …

 

  • Understand Y.D.I.L ***  when it comes to their finances/money ‘mind’.
  • Participate in social capital creating/expanding actions: Connecting others, serving in their communities, & building ‘roots & wings’ in their households.
  • Have eschewed a paycheck from a 3rd party & are sustaining on dollars earned through serving & solving.
  • Understand the value of time > money.  ( read previous post )

& …

  • Oft use words like legacy, leadership, leverage, significance, & value in everyday conversation.

 

Suggested Profiles

 

Brent Wehmeyer

 

Eric Kim

 

Producers Manifesto Poster

 

*** More on Y.D.I.L.

Y = You, Inc. [ ‘investing’ in your mind – trillion $+ ‘real estate’ ]

 

D = {consumer} debt [ pay off, or better yet, bypass proactively ]

 

I = Investments [ mainstream financial vehicles ]

 

L = Lifestyle [ far better to live below or right at par/your means ]

 

By committing to this informal, yet powerful acronym, my entire financial picture & level of consciousness, were shifted, bit by bit.

= I became a producer!

 

You can, too.

Starting, and perhaps expanding,  your business mustn’t originate from the scraps on your monetary table: It should be the main course, growing in parallel with your self-leadership as the “CEO” of You, Inc.

 

Value squared

Many thought leaders have previously opined on similar topic/s; I’m always pleased to cross reference their content & encourage readers in this community to learn more about them.

 

Their specialized knowledge, paired with mine, should generate lots of value for you, the reader.

 

The Producers Manifesto

Consumer v. Producer

Start Every Day as a Producer …

* Infographic – What is the ‘mass media’?

** https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/types-of-stressors-eustress-vs-distress/

 

In short …

 

  • Know the clear differences b/w a consumer(ist) & a producer
  • Click to Tweet the Emerson quote: there’s a very elevated level of consciousness within it.
  • Invest time to click on the links provided to follow the bread crumb trail of wisdom
  • Connect with the suggested social media accounts & thank them for being producers 🙂
  • Paint yourself with a producer’s Picassian flair!  #BeAnExample
  • Y.D.I.L. is very insightful, yet very contrarian.

 

Thank YOU for reading!

Why Community Matters Now, More Than Ever by @annamcafee

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by Anna McAfee | Featured Contributor

“What tribes are, is a very simple concept that goes back 50 million years. It’s about leading and connecting people and ideas. And it’s something that people have wanted forever” says Seth Godin.

You’d have to be living under a rock to not have recently heard the words ‘community’ and ‘tribe’. But why does it matter so much, and why does it matters now?  We need to take a look at the world, where we are as individuals, and where we are as a collective.

But what is a community?  As individuals we are members of multiple groups of people, which are defined by geography, work, study, interests, online social networks, and online group participation.

The lack of real community

As humans we have a basic need for community but modern lifestyles are squeezing this out.  Community is more and more absent from the way we live our lives.  We have evolved in tribes, always lived and hunted as groups, but we are living more isolated lives online and not interacting with individuals and groups around us.  Social change has meant that many of us have moved away from where we grew up, and we don’t have a support network around us. Its alarming that for many its becoming the norm to go for days without seeing another human face to face.   

The internet and social media have created unprecedented opportunities for connection across the globe.  A hyper-connected world, always online, has provided considerable advantages, with greater opportunities for remote work and flexibility, in particular for women.  We have information at our fingertips and the ability to find customers and build business relationships remotely. 

At what cost though? 

Where there is an upside, there is also a downside.  Social media is eating humans. Estimates show that 2.95B people on earth (one third of humanity) will use social media by 2020. It connects us in ways we’ve never before seen or imagined. It disconnects us in ways we take for granted. In a time when social media shapes our world view and drives our daily interactions, we need to define a new balance between online and offline, between global and local, between virtual and reality.  Modern life is creating a human connection gap, there is lack of social cohesion around us, and less of a sense of belonging.

What we can and are doing about it

Photo by Slava Bowman on Unsplash

In recent years there has been a shift towards authentic connection in what has become a fast, technologically advanced world. Social media has added so much to our world and our businesses but we have lost something in the process. We have become accustomed to define ourselves by the job we do, who we know, how many likes we get.  Yet we are so much more than the superficiality of all those things.

As a result of change we are seeing a shift in consumer demands, a craving for a more human experience.  In our DNA there is a desire to be a part of a community, or multiple communities, that support us and help us grow.

Brands and companies are being expected to deliver a more human experience to its customers and followers.  We now have #O2O movements (online to offline) and #H2H (human to human) delivery of content, products and services. 

Another example of this change is the #letsgethonest campaign in late 2017 and re-run again in 2018.  26 million people shared their failures and weaknesses via content, on the basis that what we share as humans aren’t perfections and successes, but universal flaws and failures.

Online brands such as Fiverr and Asana are now delivering a community experience to customers and contributors.  #LinkedInLocal, a campaign to take online connections offline and come together to meet in groups face-to face, has spread to over 85 countries in less than two years.  We continually see the rise and growth of Facebook communities for like-minded people, anything from mothers groups to soul-centred entrepreneurs, there is a Facebook group for literally everything.

Bridging the Human Connection Gap 

Even in a digital world it is so important to build our own “villages” to support us. Social isolation is damaging to health, education, business and society.  As humans we need to find the balance between an increased need for privacy, and shutting ourselves off from the world.  Human interaction must be meaningful and when we recognise this we need to picture what our own ideal in-person villages look like, and use technology for good in order to seek them out.

13 Ways Leaders Re-Boot Employee Engagement In Business by @AngeKYoumatter

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13 Ways Leaders Re-Boot Employee Engagement In Business

by Angela Kambouris | Featured Contributor

Can you remember when you first joined your team, full of enthusiasm, passion, and determination you were going to make a difference? You are pumped with new ideas, strategies and palpable energy that would permeate the walls of any building.

Then as time progressed, days turn into months, your energy plateaued, your enthusiasm waned, and you began to feel disconnected. Frustrations mounted, roadblocks seemed like unachievable peak tops. If this sounds familiar, you are around great company. No one is immune to feeling alone, experiencing the same frustrations or at times the lack of productivity. All levels of the organization, including entrepreneurial leaders have experienced at some point the disconnect. The good news is that many have also risen above to confront and re-engage within their organization.

Here is a list of thirteen actionable ideas to re-boot engagement in your business.

Time is precious

Leaders must spend time with their team member, both formally through training, coaching, performance and informally through conversations, coffee and morning tea. By engaging in conversations that determine skill gaps, what you need to close the gap and the behaviors you want to change and impact with your team creates an opportunity to identify the priorities for the next 30 and 90 days, both individually and as a collective group. The power is in the conversation.

Results, not input

An emphasis must be on outcomes and the end results rather than input. Leaders must shift the responsibility to the employee to determine how individually they can work and fulfill their responsibilities. When leading others, employees must learn to see clearly that their success or lack of, is not determined by managers or circumstances but is in their own hands. Leaders empower people to become experts at leading themselves.  When you let people drive their results, they hold themselves accountable.

Can l see you?

Visibility within the organization, speaking at meetings with your people, channeling nervous energy into adding value, presenting information that taps into all representational systems – logical information, using body language, compelling visuals and engaging the audience, creates a space to bring your people along graciously. When you are clear about communication styles, inclusivity breeds.

Future leaders

You want your people to feel more connected and engaged, include employees in company strategy. People feel more empowered, it doesn’t cost anything, respect permeates the culture, people feel heard, different ideas are brought to the table and the identification of future leaders are revealed.

Collective thinking

There is strength in bringing together teams from different areas – internal or external – for a workplace lunch, industry conference or individually to work on a project. The power of collaborating, bringing fresh ideas, problem-solving or sharing best practice knowledge, cultivates strong professional relationships that benefit both people and business.

Walk and talk

Walk and talk meetings or mentoring walks lead to healthy minds and healthy business performance and productivity. When you get and move, immerse yourself in the fresh air you will be amazed at how productive people feel. It starts at the top.

Imagine having time to create what inspires you

Google introduced a 20 percent program where employees spend 20 percent of their time at work doing whatever they like. In a smaller company, a variation may be one week out of every 8 weeks to work on a passion project. By encouraging your people to work on side projects you promote skill development, learning of new technologies and an ability to explore untouched territories in the marketplace. Encouraging creativity makes sound business sense and it helps you attract the best talent.

4-Day week

Given the digital world has had a profound impact on everyday life, including work hours, companies are now looking at cutting their work week to 4 days a week resulting in higher productivity in business, more motivated staff and less burnout. In New Zealand, Perpetual Guardian, a trust company reported that since the pilot of a 32 hour week in 2018, there had been a fall in stress and an increase in staff engagement.

A personal assistant for the week

Giving a little help by hiring a personal assistant for a day or week to recognize the time and effort your people have put in every single day, creates ripples within your organization. A dedicated person to work through administration and menial tasks that must be done so the recognized person can have an opportunity to dedicate time to working on their passion project for the week. Imagine the ROI.

Employee Award ideas

Recognizing and rewarding the efforts of your people can be done in a fun and innovative way. Start with identifying the fundamental values within the workplace that you want your people to be alignment with and identify titles that can be celebrated once a month. For instance, rewarding improving the quality of customer service in the company, a title may be for an award “Customer Whisperer”; awarding a top performer may be “Hall of Fame” award; an appreciation award for making a difference to people within the company “The Master Yoda Award” and “The Marvel team” award that celebrates and appreciates team effort and results.

Meaningful words

Mantras help unite people under a common purpose, supports employees to humanely connect with your brand and product and is a uniquely powerful source of motivation. One way to leverage the mantra is by making it visible throughout the building on posters, t-shirts, or in a workplace manifesto painted on a wall in the building. Make it meaningful and watch how people embody your brand and unleash the power of your team.

Rapid-fire

One way to start the day is to create a sense of team spirit with a rapid-fire catch–up. Fifteen minutes of sharing your wins, roadblocks and focus for the day. Team conversations ensure all members are on the same page and have an awareness of how to best support each other.

Pulse performance

When you create environments where pulse performance practices are embedded that encourage regular feedback, monthly check-ins, ongoing discussions to ensure alignment with objectives, exposing blind spots and amplifying strengths, magic happens. Leadership development in today’s climate is non-negotiable. By coaching managers in providing feedback with an attitude of ‘what needs to be done next’ rather than rating past performance and induces dialogue on a deeper level as people want to be able to grow and be better. The more personal development opportunities within the organization, the more you will retain talent.

When you tap into the genuine commitment of unlocking the human potential within your organization, people re-engage, and success comes to those who dare to be brave.

Trends to Watch in the final 365 days of the Decade by @SBSLEducSoltns

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by SJ Barakony | Featured Contributor

 

2019 awaits. How ready are you & your business for these 13 trends?

 

Can you believe it?! Yes, its true: we’re less than 2 weeks away from another New Years’ Day; so, let’s dedicate a toast to our businesses, our families, & friends!

Not only that … did you notice?  It’s also the last year of the first decade of the ‘new’ century.

 

Where were you on 01 Jan, 2010?

 

Was your business even open?

How did you communicate with your clientele?

Have you rebranded since then?

 

…  That’s NINE years ago, believe that!

 

The Mindset of the Futurist

 

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”  — Buckminster Fuller

 

#quotestoliveby #futurist 

( Click to Tweet the above )

 

Many thought leaders, chief amongst them the futurists, visionaries, and creative disrupters, know of Fuller. He laid this cornerstone of thought and its now part of his legacy, to be embraced by generations not yet born. It is from this core thesis that we’ll push ahead – unveiling a market basket of trends that your business will be impacted by in some manner in 2019 ( & beyond. )

 

 

A Bakers’ Dozen

 

Laying out 13 that I, as a futurist, am personally invested in tracking; each of these are invigorating and, in the hands of the benevolent & bold, will usher in as yet unknown amounts of potential energy to our nation(s), states/provinces, and localities:

 

Mobile revolution

Smart Cities

Blockchain / Crypto currencies

Gig Economy ( Conceptual Age )

Automation ( AI, Machine Learning, Robots )

Autonomous Vehicles \ Drones

Holistic Wellness ( > sickcare )

Decentralized [ social & news ] media

Self directed education & learning ( schooling & credential seeking )

Communities / tribes

Social enterprises ( modern mutual aid societies )

Principles > politics

Holocracy ( future of ‘work’/places )

 

 

In pursuit of a deeper understanding of the bright future which awaits

 

Even a rudimentary understanding of 1, some, or perhaps all of the 13 trends shared above won’t be embraced at deeper levels of awareness, acceptance, and consciousness without continually reading, listening ( podcasts, audio books ), & watching ( videos, webinars )

 

Two #mustread books in this space are linked below, to further illuminate your path.

I wholeheartedly suggest investing in them as a holiday/Christmas present for yourself & for those whom you hold most dear.

 

A Whole New Mind

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind

 

Suggested Follows out in the ‘Twitter’verse

 

Futurist Rankings by Ross Dawson

Generations Timeline – After the Millennials by Anne Boysen

Gold vs. Cryptos: Invest or divest … Here … from Gerald Celente

4 questions to test your intellectual humility via Daniel Pink

 

 

Don’t Argue, nor Debate

 

Instead, as we see, hear, and experience more & more creative disruption which impacts our professional sphere ( inc. our business’ cashflow, income streams, etc. ), shall we abandon the negativity, time loss, & win/lose (or worse, lose/lose) outcomes from arguing & debating?

I propose an equivalent swap of the above two non futurist, consumerist terms for those that produce & add value:   Discussion & rational discourse.

 

As 2019 dawns, I thoughtfully (channeling one of my many informal mentors, Mr. Dale Carnegie), throw down a challenge:

 

Whether with yourself ( self talk ), your staff, clientele/customers, or a prospect, engage in thought provoking win/win discussion or a structured rational discourse with him/her/them in the next several weeks

 

Word Play: Choices to make to embrace the transformation underway in our workplaces  

 

As we ascend the ladder from unconscious incompetence on up to unconscious competence, let’s fully embrace how exciting each of these trends will be in our ongoing entrepreneurial journeys & resolve to learn new words

Some which are becoming anchored to the past as these 13 futuristic trends continue to evolve, expand, & replicate:  ‘employee’ ; ‘hierarchy’ ; ‘college for all’ ; ‘health care’ ; ‘cash’.

Does this indicate that these (let alone others) will disappear forever? Not necessarily. Yet, the early adopters in our business networks will already grasp the above, and quite a number more will eventually ‘see’ as you have/will!

 

 

Websites, articles, blogs, & organizations: Learn More & Take Action

 

Define. Learn. (then) Do.

We’ve defined a vision for 2019 & beyond. With numerous resources are embedded in the post already, let’s expand your learning zone:, what if you want to self educate even more?!

 

Ever more important, investing time in additional concrete steps to ‘future’ prep your business venture would be wise. I’m applauding you proactively, if you choose to do so!

 

 

Trends Research

Future Frontiers

A-speakers

Mind Valley

 

Future Today

AdWeek.com

Visual Capitalist

Futurism Blogs

 

In short …

 

  • 9 years down, 1 to go in the decade #ThinkItOver
  • Suggested Twitterverse follows
  • A bakers’ dozen trends
  • The futurist rankings & further resources to dig into
  • Don’t argue, debate, or fight the existing; discuss & set time for rational discourse
  • Word swaps:  let’s ‘play’ on a 2020’s field
  • What’s coming is exciting & transformational; fear not!  Embrace. Encourage. Uplift.

 

Thank YOU for reading!

& …

6 Reasons Why You Need To Find A Business Mentor by @XLConsultingGro

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by Elaine Slatter | Featured Contributor

Find A Business Mentor

Find A Business Mentor To Accelerate Your Personal Growth

It doesn’t matter if you are working in a corporation or are an entrepreneur, a business mentor can help you get to the next level.  One of the keys is how to find a business mentor that is the right fit.  During your business life, you can have a variety of business mentors depending on the skill set you are looking to develop. If you have pressing business problems, try to find a business mentor to help you solve your most urgent issues first. Because forward momentum cannot be achieved unless your solve problem #1.  Later on, you may need to find a mentor for other areas of your business development.

Don’t be intimidated if the person you want as your mentor is a very busy executive.  You can always ask them, “do you have 30 minutes to answer my top three questions”? Most people will respond by giving your 30 minutes of their time.  The idea is to be prepared and not waste their time.

I remember when I first was progressing up the corporate ladder I had a problem working with the CEO.  He came up with marketing ideas that, to say the least, were ‘crazy’.  He would ask me what I thought of his ideas and as the Marketing Manager, I would tell him the truth.  I was then mentored by the CFO on how to handle the CEO.  The advice was “don’t keep saying no, that won’t work”, rather say, “that’s a great suggestion, John, let me think about it and work a program around your idea”.  The program I then sold back to the CEO had one germ of his idea which I was quick to highlight and 99% of a different, workable idea.  Hence the CEO never had a problem accepting and approving these plans.

It is all about positioning, saying everything in a positive manner, praising the original thought and moving the idea to a new level.  That’s the politics of business that may seem like a sell-out, but isn’t it better to sell your idea rather than have it rejected because your audience just doesn’t buy in?  My greatest lesson learned from my mentor is “know the audience you are pitching to”.

The first key is to find a mentor who is willing to help you with the skills development you need to work on.  This could be leadership, negotiations, selling techniques, technical aptitude, handling office politics.  Once you have found a person willing to mentor you, remember there is an obligation on your side too as a mentee.  A mentor is only your guide, as a mentee, your job is to take ownership of your side of the relationship.  This means, communicate on a timely basis, follow up with your homework, be professional at all times, put in the effort and lastly be accountable for everything you promise you will do.  In time you will build a strong relationship with your business mentor that will be invaluable for your growth.

Here are six reasons businesswomen need to find a business mentor.

1. A mentor has a ton of experience

Tap into the expertise your mentor has.  Ask how they have handled a situation and then use this experience when you next encounter a similar problem.

2. A mentor has a great network

People do business with people.  If your mentor has a good professional network they will open their network up to you.  Your mentor’s network is invaluable because it will likely have a cross-section of professionals that have the same values as your mentor.

Also, if you are in a corporate environment, your mentor can open doors within their own level of management, and put in a good word for you. This can help get your work known at a level higher than the one you are operating in.  This is particularly helpful if your company has offices in many different locations and your mentor has the inside track with the office you need to work with.

3. A mentor’s experience can cut through the noise

Sometimes you just need to use your mentor as a sounding board to reach the core of a problem.  If you have multiple layers of ‘noise’ and are having a problem sorting out where to start, your mentor can help.  They are not mired in the emotions of the problem. They can usually cut through all the noise and distraction, isolate the true problem and help you with a solution.

4. A mentor can help you with skills development

We are all experts in something.  Where your mentor can help you is developing your weaker skills.  This could be how to handle difficult staff members, how to hire great people for your team, how to sell yourself or your products, or handling finances.

5. A mentor has no personal agenda

Your mentor is not your competition or your work mate.  Their sole purpose is to help you develop skills for your own success.

6. A mentor is a sounding board

Think of your mentor as your guide.  They are not there to solve your problems or help boost your career, they play a supporting role in your success. The mentee needs to take responsibility for their decisions and actions. But role-playing with your mentor means you have a great person in your corner to help guide you into making your own decisions and taking action.  Most likely they have already traveled the road you are on and have had similar experiences.

Your choice of a mentor is so important.  Do you trust this person?  Will they keep all the information you give them confidential?  Does your prospective mentor have the experience you are looking for?

I have always used mentors to help me both in my corporate career and as an entrepreneur.  I learn from a variety of experts who are where I want to be.

In return, I have mentored many startup entrepreneurs for a variety of business programs and proudly have a Fabulous Fempreneurship platform for women entrepreneurs that also provides mentoring support.  Paying it forward is so essential in promoting women in business. Check out our mentors here.

Have you had a mentor in your business life?  What has this experience been like?