Life and Business Lessons From a Crew Boat
Sporting, business and life lessons from a crew boat
It has been three short weeks since I took up an oar and headed to Onondaga Lake Park to participate in Adult and Teen Learn to Crew. As I sat on the tranquil waters last night with teammates behind and in front of me while listening to my “coach” talk through a mega-phone from another boat with great patience, I gleaned some valuable wisdom as a 51 year old first time crew member and 21 year solo woman entrepreneur. I am not sure the “light bulb” would have gone off on some of this inspiration if it wasn’t for taking the risk to jump into another bucket list adventure with my best buddy Ann.
Today’s blog post is to simply present the life and business lessons I am learning from this 8 person boat experience to inspire you today in your own life.
* Learning something new, no matter how hard or easy it is, is so worth it. Not only does your mind expand but your heart and spirit do too – and in some cases like crew- your arms, shoulders and thighs!
* Just when you thought you were too old or too young to do something, leaping into a new experience validates the point that you are always the perfect age to do anything if you have the interest and will.
* Your own personal talent might make the team just perfect.
* Next time you think you can do everything on your own, realize in life, business and boating, tasks can be easier with a team working with you. With a team, you go faster and farther than you could go on your own.
* When you make a mistake in a team atmosphere you can feel bad about your mistakes…unless you have teammates telling you it doesn’t matter and reminding you are trying your best.
Finally as my good friend Ann pointed out to me one crew night as the sun was setting on the beautiful waters of a breezy summer night, sometimes life is not about being perfect but enjoying the experience.
August Business Planning for Entrepreneurs
Business wisdom and inspiration for small businesses and women entrepreneurs
As the peaceful, relaxed days of summer start dissipating with the start of August, back-to-school shopping, end of year Festivals and fourth-quarter business planning, the thought of needing to change our mindset, schedules and goals begins. If it wasn’t the fact the nights get slightly cooler, the sunny days shorter and vacation time used up, we would probably live in a summer-time-state-of-mind year round.
Refocusing our time in the month of August seems like it happens no matter how hard we try to avoid it. I grew up on beautiful Lake Delta in Rome, NY and the activities on the lake changed as the month progressed and Labor Day approached with less people boating, and skiing. The month of August has always felt to me like the Sunday night of the work week – the playful weekend draws to a close and preparations begin for another five day business week. It’s hard to find fun in Sunday night; sometimes I think it’s hard to find fun in mid-August.
I have learned there is always a gift in each season. I think the gift of August is to find time to pause, retreat and re-purpose our focus on the last four months of the business year. There is plenty of time before summer ends to enjoy one full day of rest, contemplation, re-purposing and maybe even re-positioning our corporate goals for a more successful fall business season.
Today’s Monday Motivation should inspire you to set a half or full day off on your business calendar before September 1st to think about what you want to change about your vision, duties, and overall plans for your company the next four months. Not only should you take the time to re-purpose your intentions and activate your corporate mindset, you should think about what you might want to do to re-purpose or re-position your company. Just like summer leads to autumn naturally and green leaves turn to gold, a maturing business is always transforming itself into something different too.
If you are already looking forward to business starting up again and you are a woman living in New York, sign up today for our 8th Annual “Inspiring Success: The Women TIES Retreat” happening on September 14 in beautiful Skaneateles, New York to really jump start your fall business schedule, learn from 8 successful women entrepreneurs, market your business and open new economic connections.
My hope for you for August is you fully enjoy this beautiful time of year and mindfully begin planning some new purposes for yourself and your business.
Inspiration and Wisdom for Women and Women Entrepreneurs
Driving back from Ithaca along beautiful lakes and rolling hills, I eased into Auburn. I’ve driven the road a hundred times going to the Finger Lakes to produce events for women entrepreneurs. I often noticed the little white house situated behind fences and a historic blue metal sign saying “Home of Harriet Tubman” but I never drove up the driveway. Yesterday when I saw it approaching, I finally turned in the driveway to satisfy a yearning to learn more about this historic woman.
The event building behind the notable home housed a museum including a long wall timeline of Harriett’s life and a passionate African American woman and man “acting” out Harriett’s plight and successes. I couldn’t help but notice the white and black children in the audience listening with awe. It was a surreal experience to be sitting in this space a day after I told a group of 15 women I was going to only use $20 bills with Harriet Tubman’s face on it at my women’s business events to celebrate a woman on currency. It also came the afternoon of the first female presidential candidate accepting her party’s nomination. As I drove home, I was so filled with female pride. Pride watching 20 women at my event working hard to make their business dreams a success. Pride watching the event speaker highlight Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon in 1967. Pride hearing about Harriet Tubman’s amazing life and how hard she fought for her cause; and pride in watching Hillary Clinton deliver a stellar speech with girls and women cheering her on. 
This morning as I opened an email from one of the women’s causes I follow, it had a timeline of historic female moments that led to last night’s brilliant moment. It was a timeline about women finally rising in some areas of equality. The timeline made me think about Harriet’s timeline as well. It reminded me we each have our own timeline.
As my life changes this year as my two sons finally leave the area we live in, I look back on my own timeline to see my own feminist timeline. It started in 1964 being born to a woman who fought to leave a traditional Italian upbringing to go to college. It developed in 1979 at the age of 15 when I put together an all girls slate to run for our class board. It arose when the first female board member of the alumni association of my college tapped me on the shoulder at 17 to lead a high school initiative. My feministic approach to life arose again in 1992 as I fought to turn my full time position into a part time position in my higher education job to be with my sons more. I occurred again three years later when I created my first company to use my intelligence to continue to earn money while being an active mother. It happened when I stepped into the spotlight as a leader in women entrepreneurship in the early 1990’s. And it developed when I created a Women’s Athletic Network in 2014 for women to enjoy sports together and put more women in the seats at women’s college games to show our support.
Today’s blog post is to demonstrate that women who make a difference have a timeline. I bet you have a timeline.You might know you have one until you write it down, soak it up and realize what has inspired and led you all these years. I encourage you today to look back and create your own timeline. If you need some inspiration here’s a link to the timeline of women’s rising to get you started. If you need more inspiration, join my company’s Mission that believes “Women Supporting Women in Business, Sports, Equality and Life” is the only way to live or to attend our annual convention on September 14, 2016. Keep living the life you have created for yourself and keep adding to your timeline the only way you know how.
Inspiration for women and women entrepreneurs today
WOMAN CARRYING THE WORLD ON HER SHOULDER
It has been one amazing year for women! It started on April 20th when the United States Treasury made the most sweeping and historically symbolic makeover of American currency in a century, proposing to replace the slave holding Andrew Jackson with former slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill and to add women from the civil and women’s rights movements to the back of the $10 bill. Yesterday, Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first female nominee of a major United States political party. It does not matter if you are a democrat or republican, if you are a woman you should celebrate this historical moment because it means women are on their way like never, ever before.
Yesterday as I sat in a room of twelve women for an all day conference focused on image, influence and income, I was reminded why women will continue to succeed to higher levels in the future in business, politics, and society; it is because females are willing to stand with other females, support them, advise them, and cheer them on knowing that another woman’s success is their own success. My own 21 years of personal service to women entrepreneurs has shown me, except for a handful of women, that women want each other to accomplish their loftiest goals. It is why females are amazing people. It’s why finally all of the world can witness the strength of American women through our new currency and on the political stage.
I was reminded yesterday as I left the event that each woman is born with a personal mission statement that moves and motivates them throughout their life. The mission may alter periodically but in the depth of our core, our mission is what we stand for and why we were born at this time in history to make a difference in society and the marketplace. Don’t forget you are on “a mission of your own” with a world to change with your unique blessings and persona.
Today I want you to pause and truly celebrate women making big, amazing strides like never before in the public eye. Look at a photo of you with your sisters, girl friends, daughters, granddaughters, and nieces and say, “You and I have a great future ahead of us because of women of yesterday and today.” So my question to you today is “What are you going to do to keep changing the world for the better for women and girls?”
What I want you to know for sure is I support you and your goals. If I can ever be of service to you to help, share your message, counsel or support you, I’m here. Supporting and lifting up women entrepreneurs has been and remains my beautiful life mission.
Influencing the World With Your Personal Mission
Business inspiration and wisdom for women and women entrepreneurs
As I listened to First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech last night at the Democratic National Convention, I was reminded why women need to have more opportunities to lead and speak. I have witnessed the same level of confidence, compassion and courtesy when listening to women entrepreneurs who typically take to the podium at my women entrepreneurs events across New York State. In my mind, lifting up women to equality in leadership roles in non-for-profit organizations to corporations to the highest role in the land makes brilliant sense.
When I’m asked why I have dedicated over twenty years of my life to supporting, promoting, publicizing and lifting up other women – especially women entrepreneurs – it is for the same reasons Michelle Obama mentioned last night. Women today and the girls to follow our generation have a bright future of unlimited potential when they see the traditional glass ceilings broken across America. It is tireless work to push back against the standard way of doing business, living life and speaking up, but if we have a cause that moves us every day that can make a positive contribution to the world, we have an obligation to do the work and share our message.
Today as I attend an event with all women to talk about influence and income, I expect to witness women in different races, religions and income levels share feelings, blocks and aspirations to keep climbing the revenue ladder in their lives. I will speak to this group about following a personal passion to change the world like my life’s mission of inspiring women to buy from women first and foremost to put more money in the hands, pocket books and bank accounts of women until we earn the same as men.
I hope today’s blog post inspires you to think about your personal mission, the causes that stir your heart and the impact you want to have in this world before you leave it. You count. Your ideas count. Your personal mission counts. Go forward today brave and brilliant with your own passion. Make that change!
Taking the Temperature of Your Business
Business advice, wisdom and inspiration for women entrepreneurs and small businesses
As the temperature rise to over 100 degrees in Philadelphia at the Democratic National Convention, in California around the wild fires and in many parts of the country, people and entrepreneurs are trying to stay cool in air conditioning and pools and partaking in iced tea and ice cream. There isn’t much you can do but swelter in the warmth. The record breaking heat actually made me take the “temperature” in my business the morning. I was curious to observe whether my business is as hot as the weather outside in the marketplace or as cool as the Freon in the air conditioner.
As entrepreneurs we ride the wave of hot and cold in our ventures. Sometimes our business is on fire – the phone doesn’t stop ringing, the opportunities pile up, our companies are talked about in the community and we’re making good amounts of money. The next moment the atmosphere is chilly – we lose contracts and clients, the phone stops ringing and revenue dries up like our back yard this July.
This week is the perfect time to ponder whether your business has been heating up or cooling down. If it’s heating up, do you know why? Are you prepared to keep doing what you have been doing right to keep the success flowing? Do you have the structure and staff in place to keep up with the pace? Are you celebrating your success and sharing the news with the media?
If it’s cooling down, do you know why? Should you analyze what’s not working and create a plan with improvements? Should you be conducting more sales or publicity to get things heating up again? What needs your attention the most right now to improve your current condition and future?
Today’s blog post is meant to have you stop and take the temperature in your company. What is warming it up and what is cooling it down? Is it your mindset, your structure or the economic climate? What should you do more of or what should you do less of to adjust the temperature to feel more comfortable within your business.
Remember, you can’t control Mother Nature’s thermostat but you can control your entrepreneurial thermostat. If you do it right, you can moderate the atmosphere making it extremely enjoyable and comfortable.
Creating a Craze
Business Wisdom and Inspiration for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
In streets, in Central Park, in front of The Plaza Hotel and NBC Studios, people of all ages walked liked zombies starring at their phones. My son tried to explain to me this new app was a great thing because it brings people outside and to new places they wouldn’t visit if they were sitting on their couch playing the game. Skeptical as I was, I found it slightly interesting to learn about specific places within the park as my son caught Pokemon balls on our walk; although a ball didn’t appear in front of Ivanka Trump as we passed her and her family near the Central Park Zoo.
As a woman entrepreneur, the only thing flashing in front of my eyes regarding Pokemon Go were the ways business owners could use Pokemon Go as inspiration for their businesses. Could it be possible to have a Pokemon Go ball end up in front of a coffee store willing to sell more coffee to gamers? Could this new phone app motivate small businesses to create their own games or apps to drive traffic to their companies? Could this “craze” like so many other crazes in the past jumpstart an entrepreneur’s creative mind every time they are bumped by someone on their phone?
If I could market a Pokemon Ball with a pink figure to direct women entrepreneurs to one place, I would make it lead them to The Lodge at Welch Allyn where they would see the beauty of the venue we book for our annual Retreat for New York State women entrepreneurs, the images of our nine female speakers, visions of women connecting during regional speed networking and the massive food buffet the venue offers. I think I better reach out to Pokemon now to see if I can make that happen.
Until that occurs, today’s post is to remind you as a small business owner to get more creative with corporate ideas, stimulate the consumer’s mind with unique concepts that increase your corporate visibility, and spend time inventing ways to create a craze within your own industry. Remember you can put together a think tank of people to spur on ideas and suggestions to motivate you too.
I also hope if you are a woman entrepreneur you follow the proverbial pink Pokemon ball to the 8th Annual “Inspiring Success: The Women TIES Retreat” website and register to be with us on September 14, 2016! In doing so, you will walk away with success strategies and connections to make the rest of your business year as successful as Pokemon.
Entrepreneurial Success: Staying on Track
Business advice for women entrepreneurs and small business owners
It seemed like a half hour of work had passed when I looked at the clock to see what time it was and to my surprise the hands on its face read 2 p.m. Surprised at how fast the day had gone by, I reviewed what I had completed to ensure I spent my time wisely. The same situation can occur while on vacation and before we realize it’s Thursday with only two days left to enjoy the surf and sun. Time, time, time…where does it go and why is it so fleeting?
An important part of work for today’s woman entrepreneur is time spent on social media. I’m not sure what regular tasks we have dropped along the way to make up for the enormous amount of time we spend online. If you are like me, who uses social media for business more so than for personal reasons, you might wonder how your time spent online turns into customers, revenue or business development. What is the return on investment for socializing, posting and commenting on social media numerous times every day? It seems to be a question that comes up in conversations I have with other women entrepreneurs often. Time, time, time…where does it go and are we making money while it flies by?
Today’s blog post is to remind you that you do have control of time – your time and how you spend it. If you feel like you don’t have control of your work schedule, start a time log of activities you perform on a daily or weekly basis with a sales or revenue goal next to each task. You could also start your next work day by clearly defining what hours you’ll spend doing social media marketing so you control your entrepreneurial activities.
Remember if you commit to being more aware of time, you won’t feel like it is slipping away. We can stop the proverbial clock if we create a plan and work the plan every day making sure to stay on track and making every activity count towards our company’s bottom line.
There is no such thing as competition
A great blog about business competition by one of our members that was worth sharing with our audience of women entrepreneurs and small business owners. Sometimes we all need to change our perspective.
As we go forth in our lives trying to carve a place for ourselves in the business world, it’s very easy to have the worry of competition. It’s natural to want to be the best at what you do…which you might naturally think means having everyone else be ‘not the best’. Unfortunately, the reality is, this way of thinking is actually coming from a place you don’t want to be operating from. FEAR.
This is such a common way of thinking, that it’s foreign to consider the alternative. If I’m better than everyone else, I’ll be really successful because everyone will want my business. You know this is where you are coming from when you go networking and run across someone who is in the same field as you are. Your heart immediately starts to beat faster and you start unconsciously sizing them up. “Hmmm, competition”. Should I really talk…
View original post 535 more words
Business Bucket List
Business inspiration, advice and wisdom for women entrepreneurs and small business owners
The thought of a bucket might transport you like a genie to a sandy ocean side with shovel in hand at your own childhood memories or might ship you to a recent trip to the beach with your children or grandchildren. You might not associate the word bucket with business or everyday life; but I must admit the word bucket has been inspiring me lately as a woman and entrepreneur.
Tomorrow night I’ll gather for another business development dinner meeting with five other women entrepreneurs who are creating their own bucket list aspirations to grow their companies. Since our meetings began a year and a half ago, one business woman has added her first time staff member, another one has expanded her staff, one woman almost hit one million in sales, another has expanded her services and one has embarked on getting national speaking gigs. Although the group is not a “bucket list focused” group, it sure feels like the power of meeting, setting intentions with each other and then reporting back on our latest progression shows we are excitedly creating and conquering business bucket list adventures.
Next Monday as I hit the shores of Onondaga Lake with my “bucket list” buddy Ann Sageer of CiaoChowBambina.com, we will take up oars and learn to crew together and with other adults. Ann and I have been doing “bucket list” activities since our last teenagers graduated from West Genesee High School. We have trained for a 5K race together, ran a race to support “Boston Strong,” donated a year to serving women in need and now will crew for six weeks. It really is exhilarating to dream and then accomplish something new in life.
I hope today’s blog post will inspire you to dream up a couple bucket list items for your own entrepreneurial and personal life. If you have been living in a cocoon, taking it slow, waiting for opportunities to come to you to liven up your life or office, now is time to emerge like a butterfly, grab another woman and envision some bucket list fun or challenges in business. I also hope you mark September 14th on your calendar for the Women TIES annual retreat since the theme this year is “Evolve and Emerge” and we have an amazing line-up of women who had done just that!
I know for a fact with another woman by your side you will enjoy the work, planning, and ride (especially in a crew boat) to the fullest. Here’s to your next bucket list adventure may it be everything you wish for and more.
Women TIES 