tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81718061169581455952024-03-12T16:43:33.311-07:00Feel BraveFeel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-83325721818740023322015-06-10T05:52:00.000-07:002015-06-10T05:52:54.597-07:00The Mentoring Project - Session 3: 'What?'<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are now half way through the mentoring project. The third session focused on the theme ‘What?’ and I personally experienced a real shift in perception during this session. There was this lovely sense of honesty from the group on what else is going on in their lives and how this affects starting up their business. It reminded me that good things take time and to not try and hurry the process too much. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I had previously suggested that the Mentee’s ‘get real’ on the numbers and milestones that they need to reach to achieve their goals so that they could work out a realistic <a data-mce-href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/#!download-documents/c21he" href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/#!download-documents/c21he" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">month by month plan</a> to then follow (I have provided some templates to help you do this in the document downloads area of the <a data-mce-href="http://www.businessofbrave.com" href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/" target="_blank">www.businessofbrave.com</a> website). This process brought up a couple of interesting things that then carved out what we will focus on between now and the fourth session: </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UceDDRSLSmM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UceDDRSLSmM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. When you start committing to take action to start up a business, other areas of change may naturally start occurring in your life and you might need to be a little brave with these… </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of these changes can seem scary, but they can also help you work towards your new goals. There was a lot of change happening in the group this week. One Mentee was told that she was being made redundant, one was advised of a change in job and of a potential amazing job offer overseas. One Mentee is just finishing a contract role and another Mentee revealed that there are two other business lines that she has been exploring and involved in so in fact her plan is going to now encompass setting up three business lines. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of these changes are actually helping the Mentee’s on their journey (e.g. a redundancy package including some training in the area that one of the Mentee wants to move towards with her own business). Even though change can be a shock (particularly a redundancy), sometimes it can give us the push we need or the freedom we need (but that we were scared of), to move forward with our new adventure. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><strong>2. Life goes on around setting up your business, so your milestones and time frames should be as realistic as possible.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a bit of a reality check with the fact that things always take longer than you plan and with all of the life changes in the group right now, it’s important to allow for these in their long term plans. A potential dream job overseas for one Mentee might mean that it pushes her business launch out by 5 years but if this job helps her towards this, then can be a good realistic strategy. This also brought up the importance of ‘balance’ in your life and not trying to do too much at once when life can have so many day to day demands. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><strong>3. You need to ask for help!</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mentee who was the focus for the session brought up the fact that she had realised through this process that she needed to get better at ‘asking for help’ and that she needed to grow her networks to help her get the help she needs. Everyone in the group also agreed that asking for help can be a hard thing to get comfortable with. This then revealed to us what the focus of the next session would be which is ‘Asking for help’</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><strong>So how do you ask for help?</strong><br /><br />I truly believe that you can’t set up a business completely by yourself. You need help and the more help you can get, the better your end result will be. I also think that there is a constant ‘serve and return’ element that is necessary for learning and becoming good at what you do (hence the power of finding the right mentors in your journey and in the many ways/shapes/forms they come in). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you ask for help, you need to be clear on your ‘story’ and your ‘intention’ behind asking for help. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This comes back to the focus of the first session which was <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">‘Why’</a> are you doing this, and how can you bring the emotional connection into what you are doing in order to trigger the right responses in people? A great book on creating the emotional connection between a brand and consumers is <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">‘Love Marks’</a> by Kevin Roberts (Global CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi). There is a lot of really great and valuable information on his <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">website</a> and you can see a quick video of him speaking below. Having a clear intention and purpose usually means that whilst you might feel a little nervous picking up the phone or preparing an email to a stranger, you will feel reasonably comfortable in asking for help. I think that this book is good for helpiing you with the story of your brand but also your own story for times when you are asking for help.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qLUvkt4jA2c/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qLUvkt4jA2c?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set yourself up for 999 'No’s' (assuming that by 1000, you'll get a 'YES!'). </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No’s are tough no matter how confident or self assured you are. Beyond anything, I think that you need to be determined and resilient to be able to shake off rejection and retain the belief that if a door doesn’t open, it’s <strong>just not your door</strong> and to keep knocking until you find the right doors that do open. Also - take constructive feedback from the No's and use them to tweak and pivot your strategy/products or services. The important thing is to just ask! What is the worst that can happen? They can only say no. I personally would prefer to live with 999 No’s than regret that I just never asked...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>So how do you grow your networks?</strong><br /><br />There has never been an easier time than now to research organisations or people that might be able to help you through the internet. I suggest that you make up an excel spreadsheet that you use as a 'Contact Strategy' document. This is your universe of people who may potentially help you (a living, breathing document that records who you contact, dates, actions e.t.c). This document will also ensure that your approach is professional and you avoid asking someone the same thing twice or not following up on an action. You can download an <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">example template</a> from the <a data-mce-href="http://www.businessofbrave.com" href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/" target="_blank">www.businessofbrave.com</a> website if you would like to use it or get ideas from it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I cannot recommend <a data-mce-href="http://www.linkedin.com" href="http://www.linkedin.com/" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com</a> highly enough for growing great business networks. We all have a ‘Linkedin Strategy’ but I think generally people will connect with you if they see that you have trusted connections in common. So if there is someone that you want to connect with, (who would probably not just randomly connect with someone they have never heard of), sometimes it’s good to start connecting to other people around that person first. Through doing this, you learn from them as you go and will likely then eventually be able to connect to the person that you wanted to connect with. In my experience, it’s quite often the people around the person that you want to connect with who may help you more! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, make sure you build a really great Linkedin profile. Here is a <a data-mce-href="https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140627172904-52594-the-five-deadliest-personal-branding-mistakes?trk=mp-reader-card" href="https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140627172904-52594-the-five-deadliest-personal-branding-mistakes?trk=mp-reader-card" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fantastic post by HR guru Liz Ryan</a> where she talks about<strong> the five deadliest personal branding mistakes </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you do manage to connect with the right person, have a very short, simple, clear message for them and include information that shows how passionate you are about what you are doing or how much work you have already done towards your goal. It’s also good to be able to give them the confidence that you know about their work and therefore why it makes sense for you to be asking them for help. There are some <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank">example emails</a> to give you some ideas on the <a data-mce-href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/" href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/" target="_blank">www.businessofbrave.com</a> website. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing beats a personal connection though! If you can get a 20 min coffee with someone in person, you can gain so much. Joining networks and organisations that meet up physically is a great way to meet the right people and learn and grow. Ultimately, I think that if you put time and effort into what you are doing and time and effort into contacting the right people, they will respect the work that you have done, the passion that you have and will help you - even if it's a 'No' - everyone helps in your journey (and in fact sometimes the 'No's' are the best help you can ever get!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope that this helps you. All other session videos, documents and templates can be found at <a data-mce-href="http://www.businessofbrave.com" href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/" target="_blank">www.businessofbrave.com</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />See you next session!</span>Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-25333646655014583102015-05-20T08:35:00.002-07:002015-05-20T10:37:57.523-07:00The Mentoring Project - Session 2 'How?' <div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Based on the questions that I had put to the group last session to work on, I used the second session to dig deeper into each person’s offering by focusing on:</span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How does the offering look?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How is it authentic or competitive or different?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How is it going to be marketed?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How is it going to be marketed?</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These questions and the second session were designed to prepare everyone for the next theme titled ‘What’ which may be a little raw and uncomfortable because it will be about:</span><br />
<ul class="font_8">
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting real on the numbers</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Committing to milestones, timelines</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Proving that the concept works... (ouch!)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><ul class="font_8"><br /></ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YtFdjHPCtD0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YtFdjHPCtD0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
</ul>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just don’t want to fall into the trap of spending the next three mentoring sessions on ideas and strategies when it’s most important to get real and practical on the numbers and effort required to make our ideas fly and most importantly, to prove our concept in the most cost and time efficient ways. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In working on the ‘How’ questions above, it forced each mentee to start carving out their business ideas and we saw a huge amount of progress from session one to session two in this area. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although each mentee is at a different stage, I think that it’s important just to ‘start’ the business processes that we will progress to at each session because in starting and doing, you learn as you go and get great momentum. You also learn to be agile and flexible as you go so that you can pivot your products and services to suit your market.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mentee Focus for Session 2</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mentee I chose to focus on has been thinking about her business idea for four years and wanted to just start to make it happen now. She said that she noticed that when you are the mentee of focus for the session, it’s surprising how much you feel you don’t know about your idea (which is also what the first session’s mentee found). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obviously the purpose of the focused 1-2-1 is certainly not to make people feel intimated but it’s a good exercise to try and apply a little bit of pressure to help you articulate your business offering and helps you to identify where your gaps are either in knowledge or training. Other ways to do this are to talk about your business idea to as many people as you can and ask them to tell you why they think it won’t work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In working out what your offering is and how it can do something more or different to your current competitors, I recommended a great and extremely relevant book by Daniel H Pink called<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whole-New-Mind-Right-Brainers-Future/dp/1905736541" target="_blank"> ‘A Whole New Mind’</a></span>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his book, Pink offers a fresh look at what it takes to excel in today’s world which he describes as ‘The Conceptual Age’ and he reveals the six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfilment now depend:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Design </span>– Making something beautiful and emotionally engaging</span></div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Story</span> – Fashioning a compelling narrative</span></div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Symphony </span>– Seeing the big picture, combining disparate pieces into a new whole</span></div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Empathy</span> –Forging relationships and caring for others</span></div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Play </span>- PLAYING!</span></div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Meaning</span> – Finding and giving meaning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now that the group have worked on crystallising their offering, it’s time to start getting real and here are some ideas I suggested to help with that:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Calculate a High level business model</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would suggest a month by month plan (<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/b94713_96e35347790944a894d66bef4dc9e870.xlsx?dn=Month%20by%20month%20plan.xlsx" target="_blank">see attached example format</a></span>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Revenues </span>– Work out your high level monthly revenue estimates:</span></span></div>
<ul class="font_8">
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work out what you will charge for your products and/or services</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work out how much you will need to sell to make enough profit to be sustainable or to reach the level you require e.g:</span></div>
<ul class="font_8">
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aiming for turnover of £80,000 in year one.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day rate: £700 - £1500 + VAT</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span class="color_4"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In order to reach target from solely consultancy services will need to do:</span></span></div>
<ul class="font_8">
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">54 days at highest rate (£1500) - average of 1 day a week</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">80 days at mid rate (£1000) - average of 1.5 days a week</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">115 days at lowest rate (£700)- average of just over three days a week</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Costs</span> - Work out your high level business costs:</span></span></div>
<ul class="font_8">
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roughly calculate your predicted monthly business running costs e.g. for:Equipment, marketing, any training you require, any help you require from Accountants e.t.c.(see attached example to give you some ideas</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try and calculate three basic scenarios; a best case, good case and worst case scenario (this will help you track your progress as you go). </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you have your projected revenues and costs, then you can start to see your net profit by taking all of your costs and expenses away from your revenues. Doing this will give you a good view on what month you will break even and start making money and what it will take to get there. Some businesses can take 3 to 5 years to do this. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tips:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spend time on the things you are good at and get help for things you are not e.g: Accountants, Tax experts, lawyers… Recommendations from friends are always a great way to find people or you can find help across all business areas at sites like:: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.elance.com/">www.elance.com</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also – you can claim tax back on any expenses you incur as part of setting up your own business. You can register as a ‘Sole Trader’ for this gestation period and claim back for a number of years – it’s a good idea to hire a Tax Accountant to help you do this. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Understand the efforts required for marketing your products and/or services:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can make and/or provide the best products and services in the world but if you don’t have traffic or customers passing by your door, you won’t be selling them! These days with so many websites and ‘noise’, if you build it, it doesn’t mean that ‘they will come’. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Marketing is the key to getting the traffic you need to convert sales. Below is a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/b94713_4c761c5fc3ee4cec8d0e9487ea18cbc8.xlsx?dn=Marketing%20conversion%20numbers.xlsx" target="_blank">basic example calculation</a></span> and assumption for you to be able to start to understand how direct marketing campaigns can work and what they might bring you. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Now there are obviously exceptions to these rules but from my experience, these are good numbers to ‘get real’ on the realities of what effort you may need to exert in marketing to convert into sales. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you understand these numbers, it will help you start to shape how you see your business being marketed and/or partners that might be necessary to collaborate with in order to make your business (e.g. a partner such as www.notonthehighstreet.com who has 5 million visitors a month if you are wanting to sell products v’s the amount of traffic you might get to your own ecommerce site)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT7d1ANZPwm1dHvQow_-EdQBLlOwsU99zPMitc3rV166lW7Hc1nJIJYtsfa_4Z-s7n-nycK_W8BB9COgm5eqGGy7ppbQ0QlQvhasZWLQetZytsqj5MDioS7IVOdZw0N-GVUBxjNg5CRU/s1600/picture+of+marketing+conversion+numbers.JPG" /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT7d1ANZPwm1dHvQow_-EdQBLlOwsU99zPMitc3rV166lW7Hc1nJIJYtsfa_4Z-s7n-nycK_W8BB9COgm5eqGGy7ppbQ0QlQvhasZWLQetZytsqj5MDioS7IVOdZw0N-GVUBxjNg5CRU/s1600/picture+of+marketing+conversion+numbers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to set up a consultancy business in a very specific area, then you may already have a very targeted list of potential customers to market to and your conversion rate may therefore be very high. Every business is different however it’s good to understand some high level numbers and what that might mean for you and your business. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I trust that this has given you some ideas on how to get real and understand what you need to do in order to get real about your business and take the next steps to make it all a reality. Remember the 3 great points from Miisa Mink who I had a little skype interview with this week:</span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<ol class="font_8" style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take steps even if they are in the wrong direction (just start because you learn through doing)</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Knowledge is not the problem – the problem in attitude and commitment</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have Patience!</span></span></span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can watch the interview here:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s3EEm6Ns3OM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s3EEm6Ns3OM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<div class="font_8">
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All information, articles and videos can be found at <a href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/">www.businessofbrave.com</a> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See you next session!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="font_8">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-59054738421346180212015-05-16T14:43:00.000-07:002015-05-16T14:43:04.768-07:00How to break the spell of nightmares and scary things - As published in 'Little Treasures' Magazines April/May Issue
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Here is an article I wrote for NZ's Mother and Baby Magazine <strong>'Little Treasures' </strong>for their April/May issue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s a bit of a harsh reality when you bring home your
bundle of joy from the hospital only to discover that instructions were not
included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can read books, ask ‘Dr Google’
(with caution) or go to your trusty Emergency Department to help you navigate
your way around managing their ‘physical bodies’, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but it’s not so cut and dried when they start
speaking and you realise that there is also this whole ‘emotional body’ that no
one ever briefed you on the management of!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Where do you find solutions to such things as recurring
nightmares (that put an end to your long awaited undisturbed sleep) or
separation anxiety? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is more information
out there now than ever before, but it’s hard to sift through and find <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">simple strategies</b> that will work for
that little person whose anxiety on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i>
level has the ability to rip your heart open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">I experienced my first severe panic attack as a small child,
and whilst my mother used her natural instinct to make sure I was physically OK,
she knew nothing about (what we later learnt was) ‘Agoraphobia’ and how to live
with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My subsequent panic attacks made
me insatiably curious about the mind/body connection and the effect that
emotions can physically have on us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQttbx-NQNaPQly2lJ4n3K35tu16RbWEH4sT2HOzFbHBRlKkwTrNAqAX8Z8YbKW9gfiNwYfXmkR5VABmTIxf1zDb-NWC9_vjbgFjy53A_8L15B6qp3hmUtaJbYhZzvQqsNVU-ChBLc9GQ/s1600/olga+fear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQttbx-NQNaPQly2lJ4n3K35tu16RbWEH4sT2HOzFbHBRlKkwTrNAqAX8Z8YbKW9gfiNwYfXmkR5VABmTIxf1zDb-NWC9_vjbgFjy53A_8L15B6qp3hmUtaJbYhZzvQqsNVU-ChBLc9GQ/s320/olga+fear.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Illustration by Olga Minima (10 Years old ONLY!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">When I was woken by the screams of my daughter from her
first recurring nightmare, managing that situation then actually came very
naturally to me from my own experience and learnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am certainly no expert but knew what had
worked for me so I used similar techniques on her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I listened to and acknowledged the details of
her nightmare (because it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> very real
to them), and then I started retelling her nightmare back to her but with some
key changes to the original story… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">She dreamt that she was walking through a forest and a monkey
jumped on her back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The monkey was big
and terrifying to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my new story,
she was walking through the forest and still felt the impact on her back of
something that seemed scary but she easily managed to brush it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she turned to look at it on the ground, she
was amazed to discover a teeny weeny cute monkey with big wide frightened eyes
looking back up at her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The monkey told
her that it was just lonely and wanted a friend to play with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She picked it up and put it in her pocket so
that it would never feel lonely again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Not only did this story work in settling her back to
sleep, she liked it so much that she wanted me to tell it to her every night
before bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That nightmare never
occurred again and was the catalyst for me creating </span><a href="http://www.feelbrave.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.feelbrave.com</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Characters and Stories to help kids manage
tough emotions and Feel Brave!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">What I had used was a simple Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy (CBT) technique called ‘Reframing’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CBT is a form of talking therapy
that focuses on how you think about the things going on in your life – your
thoughts, images, beliefs and attitudes (your cognitive processes) and how this
impacts on the way you behave and deal with emotional problems. It then looks
at how you can change any negative patterns of thinking or behavior that may be
causing you difficulties. In turn, this can change the way you feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reframing simply involves seeing things from
a different perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much like the
way we change our response to a work of art by placing it in a frame, we can
change our response to emotions by putting them in a different frame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Humour is a great natural way of reframing a situation like
most jokes which involve an unexpected twist of perspective (a ‘reframe’).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Children love nothing more than a funny story
(especially if they feature in it), or a story about when you were a
child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can change their scary story
into something that involves any of these elements, it becomes relevant to them
and can break the spell of a nightmare or things that scare them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Another great example I have seen work was
with a child who was getting increasingly anxious about her father being away
from home a lot due to his work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
told a story about a great chief of a village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This chief had a big responsibility to make sure everyone had food in
their tummies so he would go off on wonderful adventures to gather the food and
was a much loved and respected hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This warming story was relevant to her own situation and helped her
create parallels with her anxiety by reframing the feelings that she originally
had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Something else that children find curiously
delightful is when you role play and act out a scenario that scares them but
you play the part of your child and they play the part of another person (e.g.
they play mummy leaving them at Kindergarten or a person that is not being very
nice to them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gives them a safe
and enjoyable way to try out various scenarios and choose one that feels right
for them to use in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Storytelling and role play doesn’t always
come easily or obviously to us but with just a little prior planning and
practice, you can conjure up some delightful enchanting tales and magically break
some nasty spells in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-66637398439608379652015-05-03T08:50:00.000-07:002015-05-20T09:02:33.350-07:00The Mentoring Project - Helping 6 women transform their business ideas into reality!<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">The mentoring journey has officially begun at <a href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/">www.businessofbrave.com</a> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">I have never done this type of thing before so it’s a bit of a social experiment to see if we can share a simple mentoring programme to encourage more people to do it because mentors are so helpful and (I believe) critical when you are bravely trying to start your own business. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">I was a little nervous before the first meeting because it’s all new to me too but I was excited about being a part of 6 women’s journeys. I might not have all of the answers for them, but I certainly know how to help them identify what they need to ‘go find out’ and to help them structure a sales and marketing plan and/or create an online business.</span></span><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Format:</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<ul class="font_8"><span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">We have invited 6 women who want to transform their business idea into a reality to join us for 6 sessions.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Each session is an hour and a half in duration and deals with a specific relevant ‘theme’.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Each session has a mentee chosen in advance to be the focus during the session.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">We spend the first 30 mins going around each person with an update on what they have achieved since last time against their objectives and/or any challenges/progress.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">We then have an open 1-2-1 session between of the mentees and myself for 30 mins which focuses on their specific journey and highlights the sessions ‘theme’.The idea is that through the 1-2-1 session, the others draw parallels with their own journey and get value out of it.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">The floor is then opened up for the other 5 women to question, suggest or challenge the chosen mentee (15 mins).This gives each mentee the chance for the whole group to drill into their business and help them by questioning and challenging or sharing valuable input and ideas.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">We close the session off with another round of what each person got out of the session and clarify their objectives for the next meeting (15 mins).</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">The 6 sessions are designed to be an ‘injection’ to get the mentees on their way.Then we will set up a longer term solution to keep them motivated, on track and supported on their journeys.</span></span></div>
</li>
</span></span></span></ul>
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">I didn’t know if this format would work but after the first session, feedback proved that it did and as a mentor, I thought it was effective. You can find and download all of the planning documents that I used to set up the session <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.businessofbrave.com/#!download-documents/c21he" target="_blank">here</a></span> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="color_14"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">The first session is difficult to fully prepare for as a mentor because you don’t have a deep understanding of the business each mentee is trying to set up and/or their current challenges and situations. I did ask for their progress trackers (<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/b94713_ab3dea66506b4c72adafde438e0d311c.docx?dn=Mentee%20Progress%20Tracker.docx" target="_blank">download here</a></span>) in advance to see what their short and long term goals were, but I needed to hear their stories to fully understand and connect with them. </span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">For the first session’s open 1-2-1, I chose a mentee who had a really clear idea for her business and seemed to need to launch straight into the structure of building her high level business plan and offering. </span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Session 1: Why?</span></span></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
You can watch the video summary (below) and/or read the article and get the relevant links:<br />
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AZHv2xAy12s/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AZHv2xAy12s?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">The theme that I chose for the first session was ‘Why?’ Understanding ‘why’ you are wanting to set up your own business helps to ensure that it is authentic to your true self and helps you carve out the emotional ‘story’ behind it. It is also important to ensure that what you want to do is aligned with your core values because if you are not living your values through your work, you will feel compromised and you’ll be missing out on deep connectivity and purpose with what you are spending your time on (which I believe is key to success). </span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">I wanted to use the ‘why’ theme to also try and get the mentees to get clear on whether they have actually made the decision to go ahead with this business idea right now. It’s one thing to want to start your own business, but like everything you want to change or make happen in your life, you need to actually ‘decide’ because it’s only then that you will commit to taking the right action to get the results.</span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">I thought that it would be a good idea to get the mentees to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/b94713_b8fc8b16a20647dba569dd915fa38f3f.docx?dn=How%20to%20determine%20your%20core%20values%20-%20from%20'Bury%20my%20heart%20at%20conference%20room%20B'%20by" target="_blank">work out what their core values are</a></span> before we met for the first time. I used a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/b94713_b8fc8b16a20647dba569dd915fa38f3f.docx?dn=How%20to%20determine%20your%20core%20values%20-%20from%20'Bury%20my%20heart%20at%20conference%20room%20B'%20by" target="_blank">process</a></span> from a book by one of my favourite business Authors (and really helpful and open guy) ‘Stan Slap’ The book is called <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bury-Heart-Conference-Room-Unbeatable/dp/1400167558" target="_blank">‘Bury my heart at conference room B’ </a></span> (The unbeatable impact of truly committed managers) You can use Stan Slaps process to work out your own values <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/b94713_b8fc8b16a20647dba569dd915fa38f3f.docx?dn=How%20to%20determine%20your%20core%20values%20-%20from%20'Bury%20my%20heart%20at%20conference%20room%20B'%20by" target="_blank">here</a></span> and I highly recommend his books!</span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r7tApOF88gQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r7tApOF88gQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Going through this process seemed to highlight how much some mentees were unable to live their values at their current workplace which has been a major drive for them to want to set up their own business. With some mentees it even highlighted to them how some of their current work environments don’t even live their own Corporate Values. Another great reason to look at Stan Slaps books (if you are in that current environment and want to change it) including his latest book just out now <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Under-Hood-Fine-Tune-Employee-Culture/dp/1591845025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429985136&sr=8-1&keywords=under+the+hood+stan+slap" target="_blank">‘Under the hood’ </a></span>(Fire up and fine tune your corporate culture). </span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">After going through everyone’s values, the business they want to set up and ‘why’ they are wanting to do what they are doing, we started the open 1-2-1 session. The chosen mentee wants to start her own consulting company which deals with not only the business side of her industry but also the holistic health within her industry which is so current right now with what seems to be an exciting ‘global wellness movement’ taking place all around us. </span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">We identified that she was at the point of needing to really get clear on what her offer or ‘business proposal’ is. We set the objective for her to make a draft business proposal by the next session and try to articulate her offering. This 1-2-1 naturally led us into the importance of articulating what our business would ‘offer’ and I invited all mentees to make a start on creating or carving out their own ‘offering’ which in turn will help them make a start on their high level business plans and identify next actions. </span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Starting with ‘What is my offering’ here are some questions to help crystalize it and to identify what you need to ‘go find out’:</span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<ul class="font_8">
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">What will my business offer? (Products, services, content, information, coaching…)</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">What are my current competitors doing and what will I do differently or better than them?</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Where will the revenue come from?What are current pricings in the market and how can I value my products/services against these?</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Will I need to have a stepped approach to what I offer?How would that look?</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">What will I need to have in place or ‘get to’ to give up my day job and work solely on my business?</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Who can I start identifying as a person or company that might give me some advice or mentoring (finding other mentors and networks/organisations or channels to help steer you)</span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Some other things to start thinking about and capturing</span></span></div>
<ul class="font_8">
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">What will my website look like and what do I want it to do? Start looking at sites you like and sites like <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.wix.com/" target="_blank">www.wix.com</a></span> to have a play around with making your own website (which is pretty simple and intuitive - you can even set up an ecommerce shop!)</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Create some vision boards or ppt’s or files that capture designs you like that give you inspiration for the look and feel of your brand.You don’t have to spend lots of money on designers, you can crowd source designers on great sites like <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.peopleperhour.com/" target="_blank">www.peopleperhour.com</a></span> or <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.elance.com/" target="_blank">www.elance.com</a></span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">In fact – you can pretty much crowd source a whole TEAM to help you do whatever you want to through sites like <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.elance.com/" target="_blank">www.elance.com</a></span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://marthabeck.com/2008/07/the-subtle-tricks-to-building-an-effective-vision-board/" target="_blank">Vision boards</a></span> are great also for keeping a view of the ‘bigger picture’.Don’t be afraid to think big and dream up a huge vision for your business.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2012/03/21/how-to-discover-your-perfect-target-customer-in-5-steps/" target="_blank">Who is my ideal ‘customer’</a></span>What does he/she look like, where does he/she go or do e.t.c.If you can start to get really clear on your ‘customer’, you can start to capture ideas about where you can market yourself and get the right traffic to to your offering.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">Next session we agreed that in our initial ‘go around’, I will ask each person to reflect on the questions above (in relation to their business idea) and to share how far they have progressed and/or any challlenges they have encountered. </span></span></div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<br />
You can find all videos, articles and documents at www.businessofbrave.com</div>
<div class="font_8" style="font-size: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,ms pゴシック,ms pgothic,돋움,dotum,helvetica,sans-serif;">See you next session!</span></span></div>
</span><div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><br />
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-68874908731897825512014-11-19T15:22:00.005-08:002014-11-19T15:40:07.226-08:00Happy Women's Entrepreneurship Day! (Some great sound bites from Women who know)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Until today, I knew nothing about Virgin Start Up <a href="http://www.virginstartup.org/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial;">http://www.virginstartup.org/</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">To celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day, they held a Virgin Start Up Ignition day that I went along to. It was <strong>just fabulous </strong>so I thought I'd share some of the key sound bites that I </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">took away with me: </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYA9EhFuWqYOHUeu4mcJKT-aFgnSU3sNT3Hz3rFSdfrwcWhfPtP-UzQe0n0Jxe57gwe9n97ai59TC0pSOPvfT64jm32S70-9_GjWmsckn6snbIDV6cRQXFm-9NNX88ADHZ1vY9_0gDCM/s1600/Annabel-Karmel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYA9EhFuWqYOHUeu4mcJKT-aFgnSU3sNT3Hz3rFSdfrwcWhfPtP-UzQe0n0Jxe57gwe9n97ai59TC0pSOPvfT64jm32S70-9_GjWmsckn6snbIDV6cRQXFm-9NNX88ADHZ1vY9_0gDCM/s1600/Annabel-Karmel.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Annabel Karmel <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.annabelkarmel.com/"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.annabelkarmel.com</span></span></a></span> the UK's leading child nutrition expert and best-selling author said that 'Failure leads to success' and suggested that instead of telling someone about your business ideas, try telling them what you are doing and ask them <strong>why they think it might fail?' </strong></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">When Helen Cammaack - founder of Buyometric and Interests.me was asked about investment in return for equity, she </span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">said that in their experience, they didn't need investment, they needed customers so why not think creatively some times about trading customers for equity?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzk5f_Sir8XeNsGDuFT2t4ua_H282z14SNXb9mXlyXz4XK9ZJs-yjYGRii9BL1nVlBvLLiN7O7m-taRaiaSO2OBl6aeyo55MG6zXWRRUQcmY9ZXoxneZXtBJMJmb0vFsGu5WJ_OeABG8/s1600/other.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzk5f_Sir8XeNsGDuFT2t4ua_H282z14SNXb9mXlyXz4XK9ZJs-yjYGRii9BL1nVlBvLLiN7O7m-taRaiaSO2OBl6aeyo55MG6zXWRRUQcmY9ZXoxneZXtBJMJmb0vFsGu5WJ_OeABG8/s1600/other.png" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span></span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JJ39qmytQfNLCzSs6p8RgwzSmzadiciVNWJ8aNV3NIEQawOlXblAFQKe2S9azjlVVXS6Grx0mWPWdpnIKvEcGRbcuJeguEf4bUGyorl4I93-G_D5qnb6J1Juonms7uuOw_jk2Mhyphenhyphenm7w/s1600/Madeline+Barclays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JJ39qmytQfNLCzSs6p8RgwzSmzadiciVNWJ8aNV3NIEQawOlXblAFQKe2S9azjlVVXS6Grx0mWPWdpnIKvEcGRbcuJeguEf4bUGyorl4I93-G_D5qnb6J1Juonms7uuOw_jk2Mhyphenhyphenm7w/s1600/Madeline+Barclays.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p>Madeline McQueen founder of Narratively <a href="http://www.narratively.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Times New Roman;">http://www.narratively.co.uk</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span> said:</o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><strong>'Be Magnificent'</strong> (and she truly was). </o:p></span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">S</span>he said that women are great at building relationships but not so good at <strong>'Asking for the business'</strong> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p>She stressed the importance of charging your worth and making little closes all the way. She doesn't teach selling so much anymore, she really teaches 'closing!'</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p>Another inspiring speaker was Sharmadean Reid <a href="http://sharmadeanreid.com/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://sharmadeanreid.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span> </span>- Founder of WAH Nails. </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p>Beyond all of her amazing successes at 30 years old, she most impressed me with her natural ease and positive attitude. </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYFfyodzZBwAUEL2Ci750v1SU4eWY6ppleN94ggmVEC3IsOiUSZk4Qhu0FCHK9gz8LP_BDnx2ESII7cdXgVI5x4_Epl6QxrZ97B3N1ZzEV6vC9uyuRjnmAu3soyolsJ693cZbPmj9e4I/s1600/AD69552802Sharmadean-Reid-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYFfyodzZBwAUEL2Ci750v1SU4eWY6ppleN94ggmVEC3IsOiUSZk4Qhu0FCHK9gz8LP_BDnx2ESII7cdXgVI5x4_Epl6QxrZ97B3N1ZzEV6vC9uyuRjnmAu3soyolsJ693cZbPmj9e4I/s1600/AD69552802Sharmadean-Reid-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">She said that she always had the opinion that
if her nail business didn’t work, she could ‘do anything’ like opening a hotel
in the Caribbean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her advice was
delightfully simple <strong>‘Just get on with
it!’</strong> and how good women are at being able to do just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She talked about how at times she just naively
just got on with it and didn’t know what she was doing at the time but she does now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>She also said that she
has always thought that if something is not good for her or is causing her
tension, she cuts it out of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">When someone asked about
what to do when people in your life are saying ‘When are you going to get a
real job’ or ‘When is this going to make money’ her simple answer was <strong>‘Don’t listen to them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></strong>Tell
them that you believe in the potential of what you are doing and that <strong>you are either with me or not
with me’</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">Jacqueline Gold Chief Executive of Ann Summers talked about leadership and focused on three key areas:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aeemIEjzmJHwUxo11B4gvc7-xEtsYApxabo3NFKA_GUw-1N7tbWyCtSE1iDKWP8Cxh0aT70-8jXINkzgCh47VFdeZVW0WbWxTxiJZGmJEeEg6aHvAsLa3Xcsfcu8UKr3s8W47cMXqr8/s1600/JG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aeemIEjzmJHwUxo11B4gvc7-xEtsYApxabo3NFKA_GUw-1N7tbWyCtSE1iDKWP8Cxh0aT70-8jXINkzgCh47VFdeZVW0WbWxTxiJZGmJEeEg6aHvAsLa3Xcsfcu8UKr3s8W47cMXqr8/s1600/JG.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">1. <strong>Courage </strong>- the need to step out of your comfort zone</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">2.<strong> Tenacity</strong> - how relentlessly focussed and driven you are born out of passion for what you believe in</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">3. <strong>Empowerment </strong>and how having the right people on board is critical for the success of the business. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">Check out Jacqueline's </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">‘WOW’ (Women
on Wednesday) Twitter campaign <a href="http://www.jacquelinegold.com/profile/wow/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">http://www.jacquelinegold.com/profile/wow/</span></a>
supporting women in business <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">#WOW, takes place every Wednesday and is run through Jacqueline’s
twitter page. Each week Jacqueline encourages female business owners to tweet
her using the #WOW hash tag along with their business name and a short overview
of what they do. Jacqueline then picks her three top entries for that week and
re-tweets them to her followers (currently over 30,000).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the overall winners have lunch with her
and receive some amazing mentoring time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">Some key messages from all
were:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">The <strong>importance of your branding</strong> and how integral it
is for a business - <!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">Find your story and tell that story!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">Get really clear <strong>on who your customer is</strong>, the
value of your product and remember that value means different things to
different customers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;">Don’t be crippled by indecision… <strong>make decisions</strong>
and then change them if they don’t work, just get going!</span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">We still have a long way to go for worldwide equality for Women in business but in the UK Women can start up a business tomorrow and every new business that can create employment helps our economy get back on track so there has never been a better time to do it!</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-MhMmqu0SRxk%2FVG0eQ_gLBQI%2FAAAAAAAAC8k%2Fq_hXRUxuTFc%2Fs1600%2Fother.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzk5f_Sir8XeNsGDuFT2t4ua_H282z14SNXb9mXlyXz4XK9ZJs-yjYGRii9BL1nVlBvLLiN7O7m-taRaiaSO2OBl6aeyo55MG6zXWRRUQcmY9ZXoxneZXtBJMJmb0vFsGu5WJ_OeABG8/s1600/other.png" -->Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-86361364849246599052014-11-10T23:02:00.006-08:002014-11-18T11:17:36.815-08:00Because we all have to be a little brave sometimes...<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Facing the truth that I had to say goodbye to my mum to
cancer last year seemed to revert me back to a very scared five year old and I
reluctantly had to call on a brave that I’ve never had to conjure up before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Mum had to be the bravest and truly
was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad also brought a whole new
brave that I had never seen in him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
hadn’t been there when we were born for fear of fainting so to see him nurse my
mother and be such a rock right up until that tender moment when she died and he
took the ring off her finger graduated him in my eyes to Super Hero status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like every love, every loss is different and like every fear every
brave is different and we all have to be brave sometimes whether we like it or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The definition of Brave is ‘Being ready to face
and endure danger or pain, showing courage’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I respect that my experience pales in comparison to others losses and
that some may even disagree with the fact that one is ‘brave’ during such times
because you have no choice but to just cope so when are you ever ‘ready’ to
endure danger or pain?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess that my
experience just made me question feeling Brave, having courage and how I can prepare
myself and my children to be ready to face whatever life throws at us with love
and grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b9ty9fBQpuPrwPWACL1OvzRUffa2eh7ZwjZd9b73vF8i330BJEToBqF5F0vJ2SY21Rp_J2yc4P1ui3a745g7UCiD9_VKGCiO-65zHvuyvRKL3AyEvS6GrgJxICW2FM-nUQNBcR5yhsk/s1600/IMG_5503.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></div>
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My kids who are 6 and 4 obviously had a lot of questions
about death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had travelled from the
UK to NZ to be with mum for her final 6 months and lived with my sister who had
lost her husband to a brain tumour 9 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During our stay, a young boy in my daughter’s class also sadly died so
death became a very real concept for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How could I best answer their questions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was perplexing to me but I eventually found my answer…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A very wise friend said that I needed to get my own story
clear on death and dying and that when that story felt authentic to my heart, I
would be ready to answer their questions.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I spent time on this with myself and it was really refreshing for me
to focus on what story I choose to believe and live by and the perspective that
this has now brought to my life.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to be open and honest with my kids and myself about
death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want us to observe and accept the
death and transformation that we see every day to prepare us for the inevitable
change that life brings and to be at peace with the process of life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not many people seem comfortable talking about death and
it’s hard to find good stories for kids about it so I am challenging myself to
write one that is hopefully authentic, delightful and makes some sort of sense
to the soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Loosing mum was a wonderful rite of passage for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has made me braver in following my heart
and pursing my own dream launching ‘Feel Brave’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.feelbrave.com/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">www.feelbrave.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wanted to create characters and stories that help kids
manage tough emotions and feel brave because we all have to be a little brave
sometimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to create new opportunities
for adults to really connect with kids because there is a special kind of magic
when that happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to get kids
excited about the potential for happiness and aware of their responsibility to
find it themselves because the only thing we truly have control over is the
lens that we chose to view our world through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My Mothers final lesson came silently to me as I sat looking
at her with unlimited gratitude for what she had given me which was that when there
is love in your heart, you’re as brave as can be!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are your thoughts on talking to kids about death and dying? Do you know of any great stories for kids that deal with this? Would love to hear your views on this. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo by Dominique Browning </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>http://www.slowlovelife.com/2010/12/season-of-birth.html</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
</div>
Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-30864158073227908222014-08-31T09:24:00.001-07:002014-11-10T23:32:38.670-08:00The Magic of boredom - a great article from 'The Magic Onions' website <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhD6Djj0hlU4NjJEqd65RSK2-eP06quqegwQsVBEJRE9L5ZzaZGmZ3-N7Dy4ab6rR_QiqEY4F83ay3BWMluqncj00RKhzZO88O_z3-mJoWockrWE0S0I7jF9ZcVoKQ0fqXBiD5ebpesw/s1600/onions.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="www.feelbrave.com" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhD6Djj0hlU4NjJEqd65RSK2-eP06quqegwQsVBEJRE9L5ZzaZGmZ3-N7Dy4ab6rR_QiqEY4F83ay3BWMluqncj00RKhzZO88O_z3-mJoWockrWE0S0I7jF9ZcVoKQ0fqXBiD5ebpesw/s1600/onions.PNG" height="395" title="The Magic of boredom - a great article from The Magic Onions website" width="400" /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A great article from 'The Magic Onions' website: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We have it wrong. Being bored is good for our children. We are not being good parents by making sure our children are constantly busy. We are, in fact doing our kids a disservice. We are keeping something really amazing from them. For it is after these dreaded declarations of boredom that our children tap into something magical... It is after they've travelled through the discomfort of having nothing to do, after they have flopped onto the couch in dismay and stared out of the window at the rustling leaves. It is after this emptying of their minds that wonderful imaginings come to them. Beautiful unique thoughts and ideas. This is when they find their creativity... and imagination and inspiration. It's amazing to watch. Being bored is infinitely good for our children.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.themagiconions.com/2014/08/the-magic-of-boredom.html">Read the full article from 'The Magic Onions' here... </a>Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-30176884661330598682014-08-31T07:20:00.004-07:002014-11-10T23:33:14.608-08:00The Ultimate Happiness Prescription - A recommended read!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘The Ultimate Happiness prescription’ by the wonderful Deepak
Chopra is an insightful and inspiring read and one that I highly recommend. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He talks about one of the leading theories of
happiness, what causes suffering and the seven keys to enlightenment and contentment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">H = S + C + V </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Happiness = Set Point + Conditions of living + Voluntary
Activities </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Researchers have found that 40% of happiness depends on your
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘Set Point’</b> which refers to your
genes and your upbringing (Nature and Nurture).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Children’s brains have neurons that mirror the brains of adults around
them, so if a child is surrounded by unhappy adults, the nervous system will be
programmed for unhappiness even before he has any cause for unhappiness
himself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The good news is that neither your brain nor your genes are
fixed structures, they are constantly changing and evolving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Research has shown that the brains set point
can be changed through:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Drugs (not ideal as it’s a short term with
potential side effects)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cognitive Behavioural Therapy</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meditation</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Living conditions</b>
only account for 7% to 12% of happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Almost 50% of the happiness formula depends on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Voluntary Activities</b> which are the
things we choose to do every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>According to researchers, making other people happy proves to be a fast
track to happiness and its effect is long lasting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Turning
to creative expression to make yourself happy can also generate positive
results that last a lifetime.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeVjQ-cCFYoHIIDudRXIYAzGzz4esUZZhfnQJQ2onc7b09Php81cx67z2rBwlsnPfmqROYnLbBh8gLEYPk2BMbbFWBkB4Yb2bLJEI6lNX2Htb3b-pwRE1dHeo9NIcJNx6eFeJAjgGwmU/s1600/Happiness-Hands1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="www.feelbrave.com " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeVjQ-cCFYoHIIDudRXIYAzGzz4esUZZhfnQJQ2onc7b09Php81cx67z2rBwlsnPfmqROYnLbBh8gLEYPk2BMbbFWBkB4Yb2bLJEI6lNX2Htb3b-pwRE1dHeo9NIcJNx6eFeJAjgGwmU/s1600/Happiness-Hands1.jpg" height="300" title="The Ultimate Happiness Prescription Deepak Chopra" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to the Vedic and Buddhist traditions of ancient
India, 5 main causes were linked to suffering and the unhappiness it causes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not knowing your true identity</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Clinging to the idea of permanence in a world
that is inherently impermanent</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fear of change</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Identifying with the socially induced
hallucination called the ego</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fear of death</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fortunately, it isn’t necessary to wrestle with five causes
of suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are all contained in
the first:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ignorance of your own
identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you experience who you
really are, all suffering will come to an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He then talks about the 7 keys to enlightenment </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Be aware of your body</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Find true self esteem</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Detoxify your life</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Give up being right</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Focus on the present </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">See the world in yourself</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Live for enlightenment </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To me the key messages are that some of us are
lucky to come from a great nature and nurture set point but if you don’t, it
doesn’t mean you cannot change it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Living conditions are only a small contributor to happiness and what
really matters is how you choose to live your life, turning to your creative
expression and how important it is to not get mindlessly wrapped up in the
delusion of the ego! </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8171806116958145595.post-19154737937331109812014-08-21T08:31:00.001-07:002014-11-10T23:33:37.945-08:00Just start it!<strong>The difference between a dream and a reality is just doing it!</strong> I really believe this statement to be true and ideas are not always perfect but if you can accept that things <em>will</em> evolve as they need to along the way (learn as you go) and just <strong>commit to making decisions</strong> and <strong>executing</strong> them, then this is how I believe you can transform ideas into reality. <strong>Determination </strong>is<strong> </strong>definitely required and I don't think you roll alone... you need other people (most people love to help - <strong>passion and enthusiasm are highly contagious</strong>, everyone wants a piece of it!) <br />
<br />
3 and a half years ago I had a little idea about developing some characters and stories that help kids manage tough emotions and to feel brave. A very innovative and creative friend said that he thought this idea had legs and that I should <strong>just start writing</strong> down my ideas and talking to people about it. So I made the decision to do that (I really believe that everything is about making decisions)<br />
<br />
I had read that writing a book is like having a child, you birth it but then it takes a life of it's own and this idea certainly has had a life of it's own. I have discovered that what evolves is a mixture of your own growth and growth from all of the people that you talk to about it and share ideas with. Some help and mentor, others don't like it (heaven forbid!) but <strong>every interaction is useful</strong> in calibrating and shaping what it becomes (even if some feedback is disappointing or hurts your ego). <br />
<br />
What started as a book idea then turned into a TV show idea (but TV is super expensive and risky on an unproven concept), then went back to a book idea. I managed to sign with a Literary Agent who believes in it. The publishing journey can be long and gruelling so whilst I work on that side with my Agent, in parallel I wanted to now commit to who the characters are and start testing some organic and sustainable products in the market with the content on. What if a child had something they loved wearing or looking at that also had a story or poem on it that an adult could read to them? Content and stories can be anywhere now which is so creative and I love working with this idea. Also - <strong>words are powerful! </strong> I like to have really good words around me all the time. I hope other people do too. <br />
<br />
So this brings me here. Three and a half years later, I feel like I'm shifting gear and Feel Brave is taking on a new beginning as I now start to truly execute a business plan and evolve the writing. I hope that I can share ideas with you that give you some value and inspiration on your own brave journeys in transforming ideas into reality, becoming more conscious, living your passion every day and finding happiness and contentment. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkoXFxTXb1oA5pPWjTiM3Mnaha-V-jyrAHBGg5qqdxVf7cD3zK1WIo8lOdPX9E1s2xuvsrQSopXNK2e1LDaAUpy3LQysZYM4DGaqY2Bsv6NIZH1BEJ1Q6njZDPfLzVEjuqXqPV_LIC_8/s1600/Singing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="www.feelbrave.com" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkoXFxTXb1oA5pPWjTiM3Mnaha-V-jyrAHBGg5qqdxVf7cD3zK1WIo8lOdPX9E1s2xuvsrQSopXNK2e1LDaAUpy3LQysZYM4DGaqY2Bsv6NIZH1BEJ1Q6njZDPfLzVEjuqXqPV_LIC_8/s1600/Singing.jpg" height="400" title="Just start it" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Feel Bravehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15495279575390256427noreply@blogger.com0