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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!

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What’s Fear Got To Do With It? by Renee Pedro of @crashpaddesigns

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by Renee Pedro | Featured Contributor 

Have you ever thought I wish I had done that, Or I wish had said that? How is Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda, hurting your business? This isn’t meant to dredge up your regrets. I want you to ask yourself, What’s fear got to do with it?

This is important because fear has a lot of power over what happens in our lives. It affects our relationships, our jobs, and our businesses.

Imagine fear is your silent business partner, we’ll call her Doris. What if Doris was always making decisions that undermine you and hurt your business. Would you allow that? Think about it, and we’ll come back to Doris.

First, we need to define our fears before we can conquer them.There are lots of different fears that can affect how we live our lives. For instance my fear of heights. Yeah, it stops me from going to the top of the Eiffel Tower but it isn’t detrimental to my business. But my fear of public speaking could have been very detrimental to my business.

Almost exactly a year ago 4/26/17, I was recovering from breast cancer surgery. For four months. I had spent my days curled in a ball on the couch. I was thinking about the meaning of life because that’s what people with cancer do. I wasn’t working at all, but one day I decided to read my emails. I had an invitation to speak at the North American Digital Textile Conference in New York. Wow. I didn’t know what this conference was, but I couldn’t believe I was being invited to be a speaker.

After asking a few questions, without hesitation or fear I said yes. I didn’t understand how or why but I was going to do this. The organizers are from the UK, and they knew who I was and they knew about my business Crash Pad Designs. So I had to do this and I had three months to prepare, which didn’t feel like nearly enough time.

I had never made a power point presentation and I had never given a speech. I didn’t even know power point was already on my computer. Still no fear. I was too busy to overthink it, so I didn’t. I figured out (with help), how to put together my power point presentation, I had another surgery, and I wrote a speech. Still no fear.

The morning of the conference, as I walked from my hotel. The sun was shining, the city was bustling and I was still fearless. An hour into the conference I was introduced. I walked up to the stage, just as I stepped up I thought to myself, What the bleep am I doing? Then, I started talking. Through a slightly shaky voice, I told a joke, and they laughed. I smiled, and they smiled. I was a natural. Who knew? There was a Q&A after, and lots of questions and I knew all the answers. I killed it. If I had given in to my irrational fear of public speaking I would have missed a huge business opportunity. My speech resulted in valuable connections, thousands of website visits, and now I’m an established expert in my field.

So, what’s fear got to do with it? The answer is everything.

When I said yes, my future was uncertain. I had nothing to lose. As a result, taking a chance to do something this big and scary was empowering.

By the date of the conference, I was on the mend and I knew was going to be fine. At that point, I felt invincible. What did I have to be afraid of? How could a room full of people in their underwear be scary? Pardon the Brady Bunch reference, my age is showing.

This is a story about overcoming fear to do what’s best for your life and your business. My situation gives me a unique perspective. My vision of the world has changed. I can now see how fear is more connected to insecurities, and self doubts than realities. Really what’s the worst that could happen if you make a speech? Really what’s the worst that could happen if you make a cold call? Bottom line is it’s all in your head.

Remember your silent business partner Doris? It’s time for you to ghost her. And it’s time to change your mindset and start living a more courageous life.

“You will never do anything in this world without courage.” – Aristotle

There will always be something you’re afraid of. So here are a few tips and some inspiration to get you on the path to your more courageous life.

Be logical

When you’re preparing to take on a new challenge and conquer a fear you have to take emotion out of it. Ask your what’s the worst that could happen, or how bad could it be. Always weigh the pros and cons.

“Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.” – Leonard Nimoy

Be open to new experiences

New experiences make you a smarter, and a more well rounded you. Go to a networking event and challenge yourself to meet 5 new people and get their business cards. That means you give out 5 business cards.

“People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.” – Paulo Coelho

Be able to learn from your mistakes

Yeah, making mistakes is embarrassing, but life’s too short to dwell on them. Make things right if you can, figure out what went wrong and learn how not to make the same mistake twice.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill

Be ready to reward yourself

Make it a habit to celebrate yourself, every time you do something courageous.

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” – Coco Chanel

Most importantly, Be your own BFF

You have to talk to yourself the way you talk to your best friends. Be supportive, encouraging, generous, forgiving, loving, accepting, kind. You deserve it.

“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” —Brene Brown

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6 Tips to Get Rid of Negative Thoughts That Hold You Down by @livingoutloud_

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Reach for the top.

Reach for the top.

by June Silny | Featured Contributor

Every day I am faced with tasks that seem impossible to achieve.

I keep three (paper!) calendars: one in my office, one in my kitchen, and one in the bedroom. I’ve tried every calendar app, but I still feel more secure with a paper planner. (Thank you, Planner Pads). It also gives me a chance to jot down every blog/business idea, speaking event, and appointment in one place.

I feel more secure when I walk by my schedule and glance at it. I can hear it screaming at me like my personal trainer does, making me believe I can do more than I think I can.

I also have my personal life to deal with; unresolved family issues, parental dilemmas that stress me out and wake me up at 4:00 a.m. There are meals to prepare, gifts to buy, upcoming trips to pack for, and a broken washing machine that needs to be repaired.

I teach (and constantly write about) personal excellence . That means I have to continuously work on myself. I must strive to do the best I can in each situation; to manage my emotions, and say the right thing at the right time to the right person (even though I do not always succeed).

The to-do list I can manage. The errands get done; dinner is on the table, and I make it to my appointments on time. But it’s the personal excellence to-do list that haunts me.

Self-improvement is not for wimps.

It’s hard work reserved only for the brave who are willing to take an eye-opening look in the mirror, then be daring enough to make the changes happen.

It’s a struggle that takes courage.

I’ve never climbed a real mountain but a few years ago, my kids took me to an indoor climbing facility for a Mother’s Day adventure. It’s not my idea of a fun activity. I am petrified of heights. Balconies freak me out. Even a picture of anything over one story high makes me dizzy. But I knew I had to face this demon and finally conquer it.

We arrived at the fake mountains (an industrial warehouse with very high ceilings). Looking up all I saw was a grey bumpy wall three inches from my nose. There was no room to breathe. The negative voice in my head began to scream at me. “I can’t do this. What if I start to panic? What if I fall?” But I knew I had to take the first step, my kids were watching me.  I had to start by putting one foot in the yellow painted rock, take a deep breath, and pull myself up. The warehouse ceiling was waiting for me.

The top of the wall appeared unreachable. Doubt overwhelmed me. I was frozen with fear, unable to move forward.  I was tethered to a rope, held by my son who was strong enough to hold me, and whom I certainly trusted. Yet there was something holding me down; the weight of the heavy baggage of my fearful mind. It felt like a stack of bricks on my back. The next step seemed impossible.

Until I realized… this was my moment, my chance to ascend to greatness.

I had to take the first step. I had to leave the sack of mental garbage on the ground. I had to reach for the top, even though I couldn’t see where I was going.

I shocked myself when I touched the top. I was even brave enough to look down to see how far I had come. It was the best Mother’s Day present I ever received. I walked away with a memory. One that returns often. It whispers in my ear when I doubt myself. It reminds me… if I want to ascend to greatness, I have  to follow these 6 tips to get rid of the negative thoughts that hold me down:

1. Make the decision to leave your comfort zone. 

Great things happen when you are willing to do something you’ve never done before.

2. Take the first step.

Start small. Seeing how far you have to go, can be emotionally paralyzing. One small step leads to another.

3. Stay in the present moment.

Don’t forget to breathe. Release all doubts from the past or worries about the future. Be in the present moment.

4. Pull yourself up. 

Believe in your abilities; your strength, courage, and stamina to push through the rough spots.

5. Keep moving forward.

Don’t stop. Momentum is empowering and exhilarating.

6. Enjoy the view from the top.

Look down and see how far you’ve come.

You haven’t conquered the mountain- you’ve conquered yourself.

Today is your day, go for it…  your mountain is waiting.

———————————————————————————-

June Silny – Happy Relationships Expert – from junesilny.com

June SilnyYou’ll know where June is from as soon as you hear her speak- she’s definitely a New Yorker. Even though she left there at a young age and grew up in Miami Beach, Florida- she still goes for cawfee to tawk to her friends after she walks her dawg.

Her creative passion steered her through many exciting careers.
Starting out as a hairstylist, she was a managing business partner in a salon but also worked in film, theater, and the opera as hairstylist and make-up artist. She also purchased a Jazzercise franchise and became an instructor. Searching for calm and serenity, she taught yoga and meditation. Years later she started a business where she designed and crafted trendy fashion jewelry.

Now she is at home in her soul writing about the life lessons that are hidden away in the mundane events of everyday living. She became a student of the ancient mystical wisdom of Mussar (a spiritual personal excellence program) in 2009 when she began blogging and teaching what she was learning.

June lives in hot and sunny Miami with her husband, children and extended family (not all in the same house- but happily- all in the same city, which certainly gives her plenty to write about).

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