Could motherhood be the secret sauce for successful self-employment?

Me & my girls

I use to tell the story that my business growth would be sloooow because I had kids.  “I don’t have a lot of time.”  “I have competing priorities.”  “I can’t be expected to do the same amount of work as my non-mom peers.”

Big fat phooey.  That story got old really fast.

The truth is being a mama has helped me grow my business in more ways than I can count.  My role as a mom has set me up to be incredibly successful at self-employment.

So, to all the mothers out there who feel like solopreneurship is a long, hard, mysterious road, I call your bluff.  Your role as a mother has beautiful crossover into the land of self-employment.  I have a hunch that you harbour experience and wisdom that you haven’t even begun to tap into.

Here are 10 ways being a mom to two incredible little girls has helped me navigate the world of solopreneurship.

1.  I’m committed to the essentials.

I’ve learned to focus on the key moves that make the most impact for my girls and to let the rest go.  That means that some of the ‘nice-to-haves’ like having a squeaky clean house or writing a weekly blog post doesn’t always happen.  But, I do keep my house organized and I stay connected to my people in shorter tweets and Facebook posts.  Committing to the essentials gives me focus and clarity.

2.  I love my business so much that I want it to be itself.

I want my two little women-in-the-making  to be who they want to be, even if that’s different than what I’m imagining right now.  I want the same for my business.  I have a vision but maybe what’s in store is entirely more perfect than what I alone can imagine.

3.  I’m responsible for being me.

My girls are happiest when I’m aligned with my core values, sharing my gifts and accepting that it’s ok to be exactly where I am.  And wouldn’t ya know that being ‘me’ has had a direct impact on the growth of my business.

4.  I accept support.  I filter advice.

I’ve had many lessons on the fact that no one knows what’s best for me and my girls or me and my biz, but me.  However, I will graciously accept encouragement, inspiration and ideas along the way. {Note: Of course daddy is an equal parent with an equal say on what’s what with our girls ;o)}

5.  I don’t follow the crowd.

Instead, I get really clear on why I want what I want and then I head off in that direction.  I meet the coolest people on those paths.

6.  I don’t apologize for my POV.

I’ve learned how to own my unique point of view and to share it lovingly with my people without asking anyone else to hide their brilliance even if their beliefs don’t feel as authentically rich as the ones I ascribe to.   There’s a million “right” ways to be a mom and a business coach.  There’s room for all of us.

7.  There are no tried and true methods.

What worked for one colicky baby didn’t work for the second.  Likewise, each client, launch, retreat needs fresh eyes and a flexible approach.  My adaptability muscle is strong and pliable.

8.  I accept that someone else’s kid might walk sooner than mine.

The same goes for someone else’s blog following, product launch, visibility, and income.  There is a divine wisdom in timing.  The perfect unfolding of my children’s development or my business growth are only partly about me and my actions.  There’s so much freedom in this level of acceptance.

9.  I believe the 3rd entity is the relationship itself.

There’s me, the kid(s) and the relationship I have with each of them.  And, there’s me, the business and the relationship I have with my business.  Each relationship has it’s own energy, desires, needs, and voice.  My business grows when I pay attention to the relationship.

10.  I can choose fun and ease.

Responsibility, boundaries, and routine are supportive containers that provide my children and business with structure.  But how I feel in my role as a mom and solopreneur are completely dependent on whether or not I am choosing ease and fun.  The bottom line is when I’m happy, my business grows and my children thrive.

“Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially their children than the unlived life of the parent.” ~Carl Jung

As you reflect on your own journey of motherhood and self-employment how has one role served the other?

In what ways has being a mom  helped you grow your business?

xo

Jac

How do you sell without being a sales-y slickster?

Just the other day, the lovely and talented Abby Kerr read my ‘brand voice’ in her new service called The Voice Profile.  {If you’re curious about what she said about me and my voice, you can read the entire Voice Profile here.}

One of the headings in the profile read:

a serving of what’s NOT on brand for you when you use this voice— in other words, what we’ll NEVER see you doing

• Apologizing for your point of view .  Asking anyone to hide their brilliance.  Being exclusionary.  Being sales-y or slick.

I love how Abby can be so eerily accurate about this stuff!

So, when I recently launched my annual Solopreneur Sojourn Retreat I took a closer look at how I actually fill my programs.

Here are a few ways I help my people say yes without being a sales-y slickster:

1.  I pay attention to my perspective.

As soon as I launch a new service I intentionally shift my perspective from being the master creator to being the helpful guide.  Envisioning myself as a helpful guide instead of a “marketer” influences my style of communication and the actions I take to help my people say yes.

Being a guide feels more invitational, less pushy.  It feels more personal, less talking to the masses.  It feels more in service of them, less about my bottom line.

Being the ‘helpful guide’ allows me to lead my people to my offer.  I walk ahead of them moving barriers out of their way so they can follow me easily.  I anticipate where they might get caught up, feel uncertain, or even lost.  I listen for questions.   I answer with clarity and specificity.  And like a skilled guide, I repeat the question to the rest of the group because most likely, it’s relevant for them too.  I notice where people are slowing down or stopping and I go back to them and get curious “Hey, I noticed you paused here, is there anything you’re worried about?  What do you need in order to keep going?”

2.  I anticipate the questions.

Removing barriers is about making sure my people don’t make assumptions.  I need to be explicit in my web copy and also provide an FAQ section.  Anticipating questions and giving good solid answers can mean the difference between someone saying yes or no.

You can check out the Solopreneur Sojourn Q&A section here.

3.  I get personal.

After a public launch, I send personalized invitations to a select few women whom I deeply believe would benefit from attending my retreat.  I keep the invitation extremely genuine.  I let them know why I’d love to have them attend and I provide them with specific reasons for why I believe this event might be ideal for them.  There’s no pressure.  Ultimately, they get to make the decision that is right for them.  Getting personal and acknowledging a client’s specific pain or challenge allows my people to feel known and witnessed.  And that’s important to me.

4. I get generous.

For this retreat, I also offered the first  7 ladies who signed up,  a free 90 minute 1:1 coaching session with me.  It was my way of offering additional support and accountability to several participants and it also rewarded them for signing up first.

5.  I ask for help.

I reach out to past participants and peers and graciously ask if they will help me spread the word.  I tend to keep in touch with my people, so connecting in this way feels like a natural extension of our relationship.  We like to help each other out like that.

6.  I stay gentle.

My people are busy and like me, they can leave things until the very last minute.  So, I post gentle reminders along the way to let them know how registration is coming along, when the early bird is over, who won the early registrant special and things like that.  My people don’t need to be hit over the head with things nor do they appreciate a false urgency or high pressure timeline.  I embrace a tone that is clear, spacious, and unpanicked.

Selling your services means having a viable business and I want that for you and me.  Which means we need to find an approach to selling that reflects our personal style and honors our core values.

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If you’re craving more support around how to sell in a way that feels more like you, you can check out my 1:1 Solid Ground Business Mentorship program.

Or, if you’re in the Halifax area {or you’re willing to travel} there are still a few places left at this year’s Solopreneur Sojourn Retreat.

In the comments below, please share what you find challenging about selling, or your non-slickster way of helping your people say yes.

Feel like you’re losing yourself in your business?

I feel like I just wrote final exams in university.  I’m bloated, my skin’s broken out and my hair has been in a pony tail for a week straight.  That’s because on top of having a full client roster, I delivered two speaking engagements and built a brand new website in the past 3 weeks.  I’m exhausted from too many late nights.

I feel like I’ve lost a bit of myself to my business.

And I’m ready to re-group.

I’ve figured out that when it comes to building a successful solopreneur business there’s a delicate balance between being and doing.

But for most of us, we tip the scale when it comes to doing.  There’s always an email to return, a blog post to write, a session to show up for, a talk to prepare, a website update to make—am I describing your week day?  Our anticipatory antennae are on hyper alert.  Adrenaline courses through our veins.  We can begin to lose ourselves in our business.

We’re in a state of what’s next and what am I forgetting?  Our focus and attention pours outward, away from us.  Away from our internal needs for rest, connection, stillness, even self-care.  We can start to feel disconnected.  Off our center.

The thing is, we often excel at the doing.  And we’re proud of our huge capacity for getting things done.

But at what cost?

When we avoid slowing down and reflecting, what are we missing?  What’s the impact on our business and on our level of fulfillment?

The answers to our biggest challenges often lie in stillness.  In those beautiful moments when we hit pause.  Breathe deeply.  Listen closely.  That’s when we can actually hear our intuition and our inner wisdom.  That’s when we feel connected to something greater than ourselves.

Everyone has a different approach to spirituality—and lots of people have no approach.  Which is totally fine.   But, as a woman solopreneur, I believe that having a daily practice, a ritual or a nourishing routine is a critical component to building our business on solid ground.

Over the  past several weeks, I have been in a whirl wind of doing, I ignored my daily practice.  And I’m paying the price.

Starting tomorrow, I am recommitting to my own daily practice of connection.

I’m inviting you to do the same.

I encourage you to think about how you start your work day.  What would it mean for you to have a daily connection practice?  A way for you to hear yourself think, listen to your intuition—I mean really listen?  What would be different?  What would a nourishing routine give you as you access your creativity, make decisions about what’s next, prepare you for your clients, address difficult situations?

I’m inviting you to explore a daily connection practice.  You get to choose exactly what you’ll be doing and, how you’ll be doing it—and for how long each day.

Want some ideas?  It can be anything under the sun.  Here are a few examples, you may even choose to combine a few:

• Go for a walk in nature
• Sit in nature—under a tree, by a lake
• Meditate on a yoga mat
• Play music while you stretch
• Journal
• Draw
• Dance
• Paint, color
• Sing
• Pray
• Visualize
• Spend time with your vision board

While you’re connecting with yourself . . .

You may want to ask yourself a specific question at the beginning of the session.  Or, you may just want to open you mind to whatever insights want to come on their own.  Sometimes I like to create a visualization in my mind’s eye, where I can have a conversation with my wisest self, I like to ask her the tough questions.

Take the time to listen deeply, to notice how your body feels during the practice and for the rest of the day.

I  invite you to do this every work day for the next two weeks and then report in on what you noticed in the comments below.

Feel like you’ve already mastered the chill factor in your biz? I’d love to hear about what you do to stay connected with yourself.

For you:

 Namaste. :O)

 Jac

Sacred Refinement {and other business revelations}

Do you ever get  the urge to unplug,  press pause,  step way back so you can . . . think forward?

A few times a year I like to step away from my business and retreat into my cave of cogitation.  I like to think of it as this secluded, earthy place where I study what’s working in my business, and what’s not.   It’s where I can see the bigger picture and really feel into whether or not I am fully aligned with my grander vision.

When I take the time to slow down and be contemplative, I tend to experience more clarity and confidence.  I emerge feeling anchored for growth.

I’ve recently emerged from my cave  with new ideas, new commitments and a refined focus in my business.

Here’s what I learned:

Revelation 1:   Sacred Refinement 

When your work is deeply meaningful to you {as mine is to me} you need to continue the sacred refinement of your focus.

In other words:

Discern your people with love and courage:  Your very best gifts, your most needed teachings are meant for a very specific group of people.  Here’s mine. 

Refine your services:  Your people want something very specific from you.  You have something very specific you feel called to share.  The intersection of these two truths is where your most powerful and lucrative services {and products} dwell.

Revelation 2:  Vet your Teachers Wisely

When it comes to business there’s always stuff we could learn.  The more important question is “what do I need to learn right now, this week, this month?”  The next important question is:  “who will be my teacher?”

I have three pieces of advice when it comes to choosing your next teacher:

1.  Investigate.  Scrutinize.  Cross check for quality assurance.   Examine their website, read their testimonials, ask for a mini-consult, ask a lot of questions, ask to speak to real life current and past clients, notice who promotes these folks and whether you dig what *they* are up to in their business.

2.  Let your gut feeling make your final decision, always.  Trust your initial hunch, it’s rarely if ever, off track.

3.  “Believe people when they show you who they are.” ~Oprah  You don’t need consensus, or additional proof to remove yourself from someone’s circle.  If you’ve had a negative experience, an icky feeling or are just plain not-lit-up by their teachings anymore, it’s time to unlike, unsubscribe, unfollow.  It’s time to move out of their world completely and make space for your next teacher to arrive.

Revelation 3:  You are your best teacher.         

Sure, there will be tactics and philosophies that may come to you via the teachings of others.  But the final decision of what is true for you, what fits, and how to apply it to your business can only ever come from you.  So tune in to, and amp up your own internal barometer of “yay or nay”.

Note:  Be wary of those who position themselves as having all the answers for your business.  Or those who lead their product launches with how much money they made in their first year of business.  Aside from being extremely tacky, the truth is that YOU are 100% responsible for making your own money.  It’s really not that relevant what somebody else has earned.

Revelation 4:  Teach what you know, now.

My good friend Kara Exner and I share a favorite quote:

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there you’ll be able to see farther.” ~ Thomas Carlyle

The way I see it:  teach as much as you know right now– soon you’ll know more.  I learn by teaching.  I know more now than I did last month.  I know a helluva lot more than I did my first year as a solopreneur.  Like whoa.  Teaching what you know now, allows you to cultivate, expand and fine-tune your deeply personal point of view.  That deeply resonant message your very best clients are thirsty for.

Teach.  Learn.  Teach.  Learn.  You get the picture.

What revelations have you had this year? 

Ready to up your addictability factor?

Today, I’m excited to share my interview with the super-talented Abby Kerr of Abby Kerr Ink.

Abby is a Brand Editor for creative entrepreneurs–a natural born taste-maker who knows exactly what makes a brand work and why.

With two successful brand-driven businesses under her belt, she knows the power of a smartly conceptualized platform.

Here are a few of the ideas and topics we discuss in the interview:

*  The voice of your business –what that really means and how you can free yours.

*  How it’s essential to have your personality come through your website copy so that you can actually break people out of their “zoned out-ness”.  Is your copy doing that?

*  It’s not your job to appeal to everyone.  Your right people will gravitate toward you and keep coming back because you’re reaching out and connecting in a way that is really relevant to them.

*  Every word matters online.  You only have a few seconds to make a first impression, to tell a compelling story.  So, what impression is your website making?

*  Abby dishes on your right person, your almost right person and your wrong person and why it’s critical to know the difference.

*  Practical tips and strategies for how to write your own compelling website copy.  Abby lays out how you can “up” your technical savvy.

There’s so much depth in Abby’s point of view, you’ll want to have a pen and paper ready to write down all of the strategies and concepts she shares.

Ready to take your website from amateur-ish to professional?  Abby is making an exclusive offer to my Truth & Transformation newsletter subscribers.  Are you on the list?

To listen to our audio interview:  Right click here and select Save Link As to download the podcast to your hard drive, or left click to play in-browser.

 

Abby and I would love to hear your feedback. 

Are you dealing with your shit ship?

Because I want to tell you that solopreneurs need to ship.

And ship often.

It’s one thing to dream up an awesome new product or program.  It’s a completely different story to launch it out into the world.

To ship it.

If you follow Seth Godin then you know how much he emphasizes shipping as a key success factor for creatives and entrepreneurs.

In Do the Work!, Steven Pressfield describes how shipping is the *most* critical part of any project.  And that Resistance is strongest at the finish.

Hey– did you catch that?

Your inner saboteur will most likely wreak havoc as you approach the end.

In fact, Pressfield says:  it takes balls of steel to ship.

When we get close to completion, our inner critic gets nasty-loud.  We bombard ourselves with what-ifs.  We get scared.  We hesitate.

Because, when we ship, we leave ourselves wide open.

Sharing our new Thing with the world leaves us vulnerable to criticism.  Ugh.  We cringe at the thought of looking stupid.  We shudder at the thought of failing.  So instead of shipping, we make more excuses.

I need to learn more.  I don’t have enough time.  I don’t have enough followers.  I don’t know how to use that technology. I need to wait until next week.  Next month.  Next year.

Seth Godin says real artists ship.  {replace artists with: holistic nutritionists, coaches, cake designers, naturopaths, photographers . . . }

I know you’ve been sitting on a gorgeously innovative idea.  What’s it going to take to get it off the ground?

What’s between you and your ship?

Ready to move your big idea into action?  Check out my brand new workshop for women solopreneurs:

THE IDEA INCUBATOR – click here

I’d love to hear what gets in your way of shipping? 

Have You Fallen into the Pit of Ponder?

You and me—  I like to think of us as deep thinkers.

Before we make a move in our business, we like to gather information.  Lots of it.  We like to ponder.  Reflect.   Analyze.  Ruminate.   Seek more information.  Ponder.  Reflect.  {you get what I’m saying, right?}

We like it best, when we feel informed and intelligent.

This deep, reflective thinking has served us well in our business.  It’s made us feel ready, competent, and even masterful at what we do.

But there’s a hang-up with studying forever, especially when it comes to growing a thriving, profitable business.  I’ve experienced this hang-up in myself and see it often in the women I work with.

It looks like being hung-up on the hook of hesitation.

It feels like wading around in the pit of ponder.  

It acts like analysis paralysis.  {I dig metaphors, so bear with me here.}

The bottom line is that when you’re in contemplation, you’re not in action.

Your business {and my business} need both: time for visioning and time for action.  The mastery we desire is in this magical combination.

I know you’re ready to bring your vision into the here and now.  It’s your time to manifest.

It’s time for you to move into the mindset of owning the information you’ve already gathered.  No more missing out on growing your business because you’re stuck in analysis, planning or information gathering mode.

You’ve got what it takes to step into action.  And let me tell ya—I believe in this for you.

What’s your next bold, compelling action going to be?

What do you do when your gut tells you “No”

As solopreneurs, we often use our intuition to make decisions in our business.  Sure we consider the facts, the tangible data, the concrete information.  But we rely on our own inner knowing to lead us in the right direction.

Think about the last time a potential new client called you up to inquire about working with you or joining your program.  There may not have been any glaring issues, or obvious reasons to say no, but something just felt off.  It may have been hard to put your finger on exactly why you were getting these niggles.  But you knew intuitively that the best decision would be to say no thank you.

However, knowing you need to say no and actually saying no, are two different things.

How do you actually deliver the “no”?

Does it come easy to you?  Do you have a “set” thing you say?  Or do you sweat bullets worrying about hurting that person’s feelings?

I’ve had to deliver my own version of “no thank you” quite a few times since I started my solopreneur biz.  Both to potential clients that were not a good fit and to possible joint ventures with other solopreneurs.

I know first hand that this is one of the most difficult things to get comfortable with.

So here are some tips for how to deliver the “no thank you” with compassion and professionalism.

1.  Be clear about what saying no really means:

Saying no means saying yes to the people, projects and opportunities that will light up your entrepreneurial journey.  Saying no does not mean hurting someone’s feelings; there’s a way to navigate this conversation that feels good to you and to the other person.

2.  Prep your mind and your prospects:

•  Be prepared for an inner debate between your gut and your inner critic.  When your gut says no, your inner critic will stand up and declare all the reasons why you shouldn’t say no.   And just so we’re clear here:  your inner critic is driven by fear not by possibility or wisdom.

• Be crystal clear about where you’re headed {i.e., your grander vision} and what your ideal clients look like.  When you’re clear about where you’re headed and why you’ll be much more confident in saying no to opportunities and people that will distract you, drain your energy or steer you away from your purpose.

• Prepare your prospects.  Be transparent about the process you use to determine if your potential client will actually be a great fit or not.  Be clear about who your ideal clients are in your website copy so your wrong fit clients will help weed themselves out.  You might also consider using an online application that will help you discover if your prospects are actually your best clients.  If you offer a free initial consult, explain that part of your process is to ensure you can help your prospect.  Ask them critical questions that will help you both decide if you will work well together.  Explain that if you aren’t a great fit for each other, you will refer them on to colleagues whom you hold in high regard.  Right off the bat you’re preparing them for the possibility you may say no, but that you will ensure they get the support they need.

3.  Be intentional about how you deliver the no thank you:

• Refer on.  When it’s apparent that the prospective client is not a good fit for you, be ready to offer a few names of colleagues who offer something slightly different than you.  What you might say:

 “I would love to work with you but I’m currently focusing on supporting women solopreneurs.  However, I think you’re ready to make some important changes in your life and I’d love to see you get the support you need.  I’d like to refer you to Joe Smith a respected colleague of mine.  He specializes in executive and leadership coaching and I believe you two would really hit it off.  Would you like his contact info?”

• Buy yourself some time.  You may be approached for a joint venture, to be an affiliate or to guest blog for someone who you may really like but the project or venture isn’t really what lights you up.

 “I am so grateful that you approached me about partnering with you on this venture.  I’ve given it serious consideration.  However, I have a few major projects in the cooker right now that need my undivided attention so I am going to say no than you, for now.  I think you’re up to great things and wish you all the best as you launch your new site.  I’ll be watching!”

3.  Say yes, but with parameters.  Sometimes there’s a gray area.  This is where you get to design an alliance with your prospect.  You provide full disclosure about your concerns but let them know what you are willing to do.  You might say:

“I definitely think there’s potential for us to make a great team.  However, I’ am a bit concerned about your level of commitment.  Here’s what I’d like to try . . . how about we schedule 3 sessions together and assess your progress and experience by the end of the third session?  This will give us both an opportunity to decide if we are indeed a great fit for each other.”

The bottom line is that your clients deserve the very best of  you.  If you’re feeling icky, unsure or uninspired when you’re working with them, they will not be getting the best from you.  Consider it a gift to them when you you say no thank you and refer them to someone who would love to work with them.

Love your clients enough to bring your wow factor every time.

If you can’t do this, let them go.

I would love to hear how you follow your gut and deliver a compassionate and professional No Thank you.

Dear Beautiful You {a love letter to the

lone wolf solopreneur}

Dear beautiful you…

I’ve been thinking about you.

I heard that you’re starting to feel like the lone wolf.  That you’ve been spending too much time in your head circling around what to do next.  Agonizing over how to make more money.  Yearning for a sign— some real evidence— that you’re gonna make it, that your business will work out.

It’s painful to feel lonely.  Set adrift.  Isolated.  Because, when you look around, it feels like everyone else has it figured out.

And I know you.  You’re doing everything you possibly can, and more.  And you’re tired.  You’re done with listening to that inner voice of doubt, the one that badgers you and demands to know  why this isn’t working.

It’s emotional.  How many tears have fallen as you ask the universe: what else can I do?

But I want you to know I believe in you.  You have a gift.  You have grit and resilience and determination.

You’re whip smart.  And crazy resourceful.  You’ve been in the swamp of doubt before and you’ve climbed out, many times.  You’ve done incredible things.  You’ve changed peoples lives.

You are loved.

I love you.

You won’t be here for long.  This place isn’t permanent.  This pain is part of your journey and it will eventually uplift you.

You will make it.

You will make it.

Breathe deep.  Take a walk.  Slip into a hot bath.  Get some rest my love.

I’ll be seeing you soon.

Love always,

Your future self.

The Missing Ingredient in your Solopreneur Business Plan

Many of us develop our business plans around the products and services we want to provide and the revenue we want to earn.  But there is one key element that is essential for leading a successful and soul-satisfying business:  planning for energy renewal.

I’m so passionate about this topic that it’s actually been a key theme at my past retreatsfor women solopreneurs.

Your business is only as healthy & vital as you are.

And health and vitality are 100% about renewing and replenishing your energy: nutritionally, physically, and spiritually.  I want you to know that if you’re neglecting your health,  you’re setting yourself up for decreased motivation, loss of creativity, sleepless nights, poor service and a high probability of total burnout and business failure.

I know because I’ve been there.  Like many of you, I’m a very busy momma of  two young girls.  I clean my own house {and I have high standards}.   I endeavor to cook meals from scratch almost every night. And I work full time hours within a part time day schedule {which means I’m back at my desk many evenings after my girls are asleep}.

I know first hand that replenishing my energy is the number one gift I can give to myself, my family and my business.  So please, forget you ever heard the concept of work/life balance—it’s a bunch of hooey.

It’s all about replenishing your energy, woman.

I’ve learned this lesson the hard way and I continue to be a work in progress.  In fact, my 2011 health goal was to develop a consistent practice of daily meditation to help ground me and connect me into my spiritual side before I start each work day.

Take it from a chick who knows:  These are the top 5 ways women solopreneurs sabotage their energy, and how to quit that crap right now.

1.  You dash about trying to have it all

Ever feel like you’re heading in a gazillion different directions in your business?  Saying YES to things because you’re afraid to say no?  Snapping up wiener meat projects for fear that the prime rib might not be out there waiting for you?

Busy doesn’t mean better.  In fact, chronic busy-ness may indicate that you’re relying on the shotgun approach business model and not a tight well defined niche.  The ol’ shotgun approach will undoubtedly lead to energy depletion.

Instead of busy-ness, strive for: steady with ample windows for recovery.

The road to enjoyable entrepreneurship requires a high level of consciousness and intention about the experiences you want to have.

How do you want to feel?   What experiences are important to you?   Why are these experiences important to you?  How does saying yes to this opportunity align with your bigger vision?

Give yourself permission to say no to the good things too.  A full plate is a full plate.

2.  You obsess over sh*t that really doesn’t matter in the end

Good enough is a much gentler and healthier perspective than “it’s gotta be perfect”.  You’re not in a competition with anyone.  EVER.  As soon as you can let go of the notion of competing and COMPARING you will show up doing your best work and the law of abundance will do the rest.

3.  You ignore your business’ unique energy cycles and demands

Every business has a cycle where the energy demands ebb and flow.  Pay attention to your cycles so that you can deliberately build in rest and recovery periods.  You’re much more effective when you’re grounded  and centered.   So go on and celebrate your milestones and deliberately schedule in recharge time.

Being in service to your tribe of clients does not require resource depletion. 

Let me say that again:

Being successful and making a difference in the world, does not require you to lose yourself or your health in the process.  Self-employment is meant to serve and enhance your lifestyle.

4.  You cop the attitude: “I’ll take better care of myself when….”

Stop delaying a healthier lifestyle until your business is successful.  Your interpretation of success will continue to evolve, so don’t get stuck in the perpetual “I’ll take care of myself when…” hole.  Because “when” will never come.

5.  You avoid dealing with your “stuff”

The most successful AND HAPPIEST solopreneurs pay attention to what makes them tick.  They are deeply curious about how they self-sabotage, what their spirit really wants {their dreams and vision} and how they get in their own way of happiness and success.  Doing the work on the inside “taking care of your stuff” will allow you to show up in your life from a place of intention and wholeness.

So, work on yourself more.  Take time to step away from your busy, wonderful, crazy life to focus just on you.

Here’s to being accountable to you and your energy from this day forth.

Much Love,

Jac