Phoenix Rising: Entrepreneurial Rebirth
Recently I was watching a Harry Potter movie with my son when one scene in particular stood out. It involved Harry witnessing a brilliant gold and scarlet phoenix combust into flame and turn into dust. Shocked by the event, the head master told Harry to not be alarmed, the phoenix would rise again from its ashes and be as brilliant as before.
The scene resonated with me in particular this month since I have had numerous conversations with women entrepreneurs who are breast cancer survivors, who have risen from the ashes of their own health despair to be running their companies again or to start a new business to support the cause. Even if you aren’t a woman entrepreneur who has experienced a major health issue like breast cancer, you probably have faced another illness, a family member struggling with their health, or a death of a loved one. If you haven’t experienced any personal issues, it is possible your business life felt like it was going up in flames because of financial troubles, declining sales or major competition taking away market share.
The point is we have felt, and maybe feel right now, like the phoenix. We may have already gone up in flames or feel like we might. We may have already risen from the ashes or we know we need to. But just like this mythological bird represents, there is always rebirth after loss. There isn’t any other way to get through life. The question is on long do we muddle in the ash before rising back into our own brilliant light.
I have known many women who have almost given up their businesses at the point when everything suggested they should. I also know women who have built successful businesses that were handed to them due to hard personal situations. The question comes down to this, “Do I have what it takes today, tomorrow and in the future to push through and make something positive of this situation?” “Should I rise again from the ashes I’ve experienced to a new level of brilliance, hope and growth?” The answer always lies within us.
Next week, I have asked a special guest speaker, Maria Filice who took over her husband’s company after he passed away unexpectedly, to inspire women to persevere and grow beyond their expectations at next week’s Women TIES Syracuse Luncheon. This woman has garnered national and international media attention in her entrepreneurial endeavors since her husband’s passing. It hasn’t been easy but it’s been a passion driven experience that has made a positive impact not only on her life, but the lives of a devastated region of Italy.
Today’s post is to remind you that we all have phoenix experiences. Not only do we have to deal with hard situations but we have to grow from them and realize we have the capacity to lead a stronger, more radiant life. In the end, the colors of our day, the success of our endeavors, the glow we possess grows as we emerge from the ruins. Embrace whatever is your second chance today.
Inclusive Thinking
Last December I was approached by two African American men to assist them in their first annual Central New York Inclusion Conference. The conference was geared to educate leaders of businesses, organizations and communities about the importance of creating a culture within their organization that embraced diversity and inclusion. As a passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs, my spirit blended with theirs as we spoke the same language of trying to ensure more equality in the world and workforce. The business world continues to change; the once all white male dominated environments are being infiltrated with professionals of all ethnic backgrounds, age, sexual orientations, and physical disabilities. Standard business culture is changing and the mindset of companies looking to grow must change as well.
What I have learned from being involved with this event and inclusion conversation is when companies embrace and welcome diversity in their organizations i
t has a positive economic bottom line impact. By opening up the work place to a variety of individuals, the environment becomes richer not poorer. For example if a company decides not to hire a 21 year old, young Asian woman to work in their firm, because they don’t think the youth and culture of the woman would blend into their corporate environment, they might be losing a talented, hard working professional, who might require a lower salary range and increase their company’s productivity, purely based on their personal biases. Growing a company and developing as a smart business woman means embracing difference and being inclusive in thought.
Today’s post is to encourage you to think about what you are doing to create a more diverse and inclusive work force, client base or professional network. Are you limiting the people you meet, the benefits of their relationship, and business potential by being exclusive. How could your company benefit from the fresh perspective of another culture, age or educational background? Only by engaging our minds in new ways of thoughts can we improve the quality of our corporate climate, businesses and world. Own Your Power
Oprah’s latest magazine theme is “Own Your Power!” The main feature article is about her top 2010 Power list of women who are ‘rocking’ the world. Recognizable women like Julia Roberts, Diane Sawyer and Vera Wang are acknowledged for their long lasting successes. Also featured are not so famous women like Kamala Harris, the first African-American D.A. in California, Lyndsey Addario, a photojournalist who spends 280 days a year capturing conflict and human suffering in Sudan and Afghanistan, and Rebecca Onie, founder of Project Health, a nonprofit organization that places student volunteers in urban clinics assisting patients in receiving “prescriptions” for food, housing and legal aid.
As Oprah states, “There are people you meet who seem destined to accomplish something extraordinary. You know within seconds of saying hello that their light shines a little brighter than most. You hear the passion when they speak. And you have no doubt that they are going to make their mark on this world.” I know what Oprah is speaking about because I honestly feel that way when I meet women entrepreneurs in my travels. When a woman is passionately pursing a dream that fills her up, brings value to her clients, and is positively making a difference in the marketplace, you can see and sense it in everything about her. It’s probably one of the main reasons women become entrepreneurs, because we have something important to do, we feel we have to make the contribution, and live the dream.
Today’s inspirational podcast is to encourage you to reconnect with your inner superstar qualities. We all have them. Sometimes we get too tired, too focused, too stressed to let the light shine. We forget why we are pursuing our dream or let negative circumstances cloud our brilliance. Today, remember what it was like to feel you could do anything when you began your business. That flame still exists inside you but it might need some fresh air to fuel a bigger blaze.
When you feel like your energy is dwindling, remember there are women just like you, whether they live in New York State or are featured in Oprah’s magazine, that live with purpose every day. Remind yourself why you are a woman entrepreneur, be proud and grateful for the opportunities you have, own your power and go change the world for yourself and the marketplace.
Hospitality
It was the third weekend trip to Boston in a month as we settled our son into his new home at Boston College. 
Late at night on the third weekend, the front desk clerk at a new hotel we choose greeted us with abundant energy and warmth. I assumed we looked like we needed it from the lack of sleep, hectic traffic and busy schedules we had been leading. Since I’m always a skeptic of hotels I haven’t stayed in before, her welcoming personality made me relax thinking we picked the right place.
Early the next morning I got up to run in their exercise room. I was impressed to find a cool, comfortable environment, treadmills with personal headsets for music or television viewing, water with lemon slices, fresh apples and oranges, and clean white towels. Outside the window was a beautiful large pool with cabanas, beige wooden umbrellas, and hanging lanterns. Sometimes a morning jog can be difficult but the cleanliness and beauty of the facility inspired me. As I left the workout room, I passed free newspapers, fresh brewed coffee and soothing music, which made my morning even better. To top things off, the price for this hotel was less than others in the area.
Hospitality means warmth, welcome, and generosity. In a world of many buying options, it’s nice to know some companies work hard to get and keep our business. It’s not a reach to think a hotel would create a relaxed atmosphere for their guests, but not all hotels do. Not all businesses have an inviting waiting room or conference room for their clients. Some do. Many companies train their employees in the best customer service policies to ensure clients are treated well. Others don’t. Depending on your business or the type of client you are trying to attract, hospitality might get you noticed and really set you apart from your competitors.
Today’s post is meant to have you step back for a moment and drink in the hospitality your company portrays to the public and your clientele. Are there ways you should improve your office, surroundings, message, and training to deliver a more warm atmosphere for your valued customers. Would the investment in becoming more welcoming strengthen your customer relationships and sales figures.
Think about the atmosphere and messages that inspire, energize and relaxe you and work them into your company. Some added warmth and hospitality might be just what your company needs to get noticed in today’s marketplace.
Up The Game In Order to Succeed
I recently sat down with a woman entrepreneur who decided a couple years ago she wanted to dramatically increase her sales. A year after her decision she brought in $500,000 in sales. This year she is on her way to making $1,000,000 in sales.
Last year I met with a woman entrepreneur who had taken a risk and created a large new event for her company. Her goal was to have 100 women in attendance and she did. A year later her attendance doubled and sponsorship in her event quadrupled.
Both women possessed the desire and intent to up-the-game, take challenges, and risk failure in order to succeed. It also took hiring staff and outsourcing work to double their work efforts. It required more aggressive sales strategies to find financing. They also needed organized systems to run their operations better. It took a lot of planning and management.
Success doesn’t happen overnight unless you are a very lucky lottery player. In most cases for women entrepreneurs like the two I described above comes from a clear vision, deep seated faith, a willingness to let others help, and sheer determination. Both told me that if they didn’t hit their goal – one million dollars or a sold out event – they would be happy with what they did get knowing they worked every day to do their best.
I hope to see you next week at the second annual “Inspiring Success” The Women TIES Retreat where you will walk away with tools, strategies and business connections to take you business to the next level. Let September 23rd be the day you commit to up-your-game and set new challenges for yourself and your business.
High Achievers
Women entrepreneurs must be high achievers to accomplish their big, colorful dreams. Not only does it require saying “yes” more often as we discussed in our last blog post, it also requires action. Today we list three attributes of high achievers. Take your business to the next level by being inspired by people who live boldly.
1. Plan for the Day: Jeff Gitomer says, “Since you don’t know the day success will occur, you’d better be ready every day.” High achievers are planners. They set long term goals. They establish short term goals that help them achieve larger goals. They create daily action plans to achieve their short term goals. Make planning for success a habit. Take time today to do the following: Set a major goal to achieve in six months. Set two short term goals to achieve the next few months. Set one action goal each day so you reach your short and long term goals. At the end of each month, tally your successes.
2. Learn Something New: High achievers never stop learning. Every day women should learn something new. It could be new developments in your industry, general business practices and procedures, or new technologies to grow your business. New information is essential for success. Learn and you will achieve your goals.
3. Recognize and Take Advantage of Opportunity: Opportunity is elusive. Keep your eyes open for opportunities that could lead to business success. Focus on seeking and searching for situations to expand and grow your business. Maintain a positive and optimistic attitude knowing that by staying aware of opportunities you have the chance to seize them when others aren’t paying attendion. High achievers keep their eyes, ears and minds open to all possibilities.
A Time to Say No
Adam and Thomas Higginbotham
As we watch our children grow from babies to young adults, observe sprigs of basil in our garden mature into knee high plants, and see our day old businesses develop into twenty year old enterprises, we witness what the miracle of time, nurturing and dedication creates. We experience each moment sometimes in slow motion wishing for faster development. But in the end we see that growth really happens quickly.
Growth requires the word “yes.” Our children never learn to love new foods if they don’t say yes to taste them. Our gardens can’t grow if we don’t say yes to water them. Our companies can’t expand if we don’t say yes to financial risks. But somewhere in the process of growing, there are times when saying “no” is essential for ultimate growth. For example – “No you can’t jump off the cliff because your friends say you can,” “No I don’t have time to water the garden today because I am late for an appointment,” “No, I can’t keep spending time with a client who doesn’t pay me for my services.” The word “no” is an uncomfortable word. As women we would love to say yes all the time to make ourselves feel better.
When it comes to growing a profitable business, successful women entrepreneurs like, Jo Beth Dellinger of Artist Pianos, will tell you, saying “no” is essential for success and realizing your business is not your child will help you make tough decisions. Over lunch in the spring she told me some of her greatest business decisions have been saying no and sticking with it. It’s one of the reasons I asked her to speak at this month’s Retreat. I asked her to share how saying no is an essential and intangible part of growth women must embrace to truly succeed.
Jo Beth Dellinger
Today’s blog entry is meant to inspire you to think if you are saying “yes” too often and for the wrong reasons. If saying “no” is hard for you, consider why that’s the case and figure out how you can change that perspective to make your company more successful. Practice saying no and see what growth lies for you personally and professionally once you start.
Ultimately in the end it’s not how often we say yes or no, it’s the vigilant thoughts and feelings behind the decision that aid us in knowing we are doing what is best for us and the things we are nurturing.
Shredding and Shedding
Turn on the television and you’ll find commercials promoting the shredding and shedding of pounds. Lean, mean, fighting machines is the image they portray and convey to the masses of individuals looking for a new way to shape themselves. If you turn the station, you might also find a show on hoarders – individuals who can’t relinquish any belongings – small, big, old, new, relevant or irrelevant – from their lives. They are comforted by clutter and the familiarity the clutter creates.
Whether or not you are lean and mean or not; or a hoarder of sorts, now is the time to shred and shed your way through debris that has accumulated in your business that keeps you from moving steadily forward. You might be holding on to an impossible-to-please client, an old system of doing your books, a personal reluctance to change one of your weaknesses, or simply storing too many old, useless files. The truth is you can’t create new space for new opportunities if there isn’t room for them.
Holding onto the past, to familiar people, or to favorite objects keeps us from truly moving forward. There is time for the past and there is time to move on. Sometimes we can’t grow our businesses if we are too focused on holding onto what we know or have known. Shredding and shedding is a tool we have to use to let go to open our future to more opportunities.
Today I encourage you to acknowledge, accept and move on in areas you know you must. Individually we know what is holding us back, who is holding us back, what thoughts hold us back. Recognize them, shred them, shed them and move toward the brighter horizon.
Also remember to be wise to acknowledge the people, objects, and tasks that bring you success. Decide today what and who is essential for your personal and corporate growth. Embrace them. Utilize them more and move forward with a lighter load and extra space for new opportunities to truly become more successful!
Success Strategies on Transformation
Our last blog was about transformation. Today’s entry provides some ideas to help a woman entrepreneur transform their business in the next four months.
Take a Quick Quiz
Take five minutes to quiz yourself by asking yourself these questions. You don’t have to spend alot of time answering them, go with your gut reaction.
* What three things have I done really well since January to grow my business?
* What three things have I done really well since January to promote my business?
* What business area do I need the most help in that will increase my bottom line?
* What business ares do I need the most help in that will increase my outreach to new clients?
* What is the single most important thing I can do for myself to take my business to the next level?
Analyze Your Answers
After taking the quiz you’ll instinctively know and see what you need to do to transform yourself, your business entity or practices into something better. Sometimes we can’t do it by ourselves. Sometimes we need guidance and expertise. Sometimes we need additional resources like staff, finances and documents. Write down three resources you need to help you transform your business and then set a date to obtain or contact those resources for support.
Get Support Today
You have heard it before and you may or may not have taken action. Is today the day you need to make an appointment with a business advisor, lawyer, financial consultant, business, staffing agency or personal coach to really make the changes you need to make? Stop waiting for the right moment. Pick up the phone and get the help you need today!
Transformation
It hasn’t happened yet, but you can sense it’s coming – the transformation of the lush green shades of summer to the brilliant hues of autumn. As symbolic as January 1st is to new beginnings, Labor Day is to transformation. The conversion of the air temperature, environmental colors and activities enter a new phase; and the stores exchange bathing suits for cardigan sweaters, Halloween decorations and holiday ornaments. Many times it happens much too quickly for our liking. But change comes like it or not.
Whether you thrive personally and corporately in the Summer or do better in the last months of the year, now is a reflective time to consider personal and corporate transformation. Like most women entrepreneurs you have survived, and hopefully flourished, during the first seven months of the year, but now is time to think about what you can do, and need to do better, to be more successful for the next four months.
How can you transform your steady business into a cutting edge company? What will it take to increase your sales and motivate you every day to do so? What new strategies will you use to convert your current clients into promotional messengers? How will you invest more time and money into your business to make the big changes you’ve been waiting for?
In her latest magazine issue, Oprah talks about transformation and says, “It is our job to do daily cleanups – in our work, our family, our relationships, our finances, our health, and well-being. Ignoring problems is easier for sure, but if we take even tiny steps to address them, those steps eventually become giant leaps on the journey to transformation.”
Today’s blog post is to inspire you to think about the transformation you’d like to make in your business the rest of this year. Take the time you need before Labor Day arrives to write down three big goals and the tiny steps you need to begin taking to accomplish them. Do you need more education, finances, or staff support? Do you need guidance, advice or more inspiration to get you there?
As sure as the leaves will slowly turn from green to yellow and the air from balmy to cool, so can your business transform into a vibrant entity with new color, air and life to sustain and grow it in the near future.
Women TIES 
