Time Out

Over the weekend Solomon and I had a great time.

I don’t mention my partner Solomon very often in my blog posts which he’s forever grateful.  But I have to just this once because of my business insight.      

On Saturday night we attended his company Christmas party.  I always look forward to these holiday parties because they’re well planned and filled with light energy and laughter. 

This party was extra special primarily because of the venue.  Sitting in the Hill Country, less than an hour’s drive from Austin, the gathering was held at Horseshoe Bay Resort Hotel; a beautiful facility, overlooking Lake LBJ and surrounded by manicured gardens.  His company gifted us with our weekend stay.   

Solomon and I had a great time and extended that great time by traveling on Sunday into the little towns and hamlets in the Texas Hill Country.    

As we strolled the streets, taking pictures of holiday tinsel and twinkling lights and visiting the little shops all adorned for the holidays, an answer to a business question simply popped into my head. I wasn't consciously thinking about business, but there it was, the perfect solution that would move my new business plan forward.   

So bright and early this morning I was back at my computer in the afterglow of my “feel-good” weekend.  It was then it occurred to me that some of my best business solutions have come during these periods of rest and relaxation. 

In truth, the entire business plan I’m currently implementing came while Solomon (there’s that name again!) and I visited another Texas town on a screaming-hot Sunday looking for treasures at a gigantic outdoor collectibles market.   

As entrepreneurs there never seems to be enough hours in the day.  Our to-do list is overflowing.  We’re organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling like crazy.     

I’ve always been so passionate about my work that it doesn’t feel much like work.  So because of that those around me have at times needed to pull me, kicking and screaming, away from my purpose. 

But this morning after my fabulous weekend I remember the power of rest and relaxation.  There is a time when I must turn the computer off. 

In those times what seems to turn on is a renewal of my creativity, imagination and inventiveness.          

  

Seth Godin

Who am I to go up against a heavy-hitter like Seth Godin?? 

I’m the girl who just starting blogging about a year ago.  I try and write a post about once a week, but most of the time it’s about every two weeks.  

But then who’s counting. . . I'm certain my readership doesn’t keep Seth up at night. 

Don’t get me wrong Seth Godin is a marketing god.  His content is fabulous, his books are classics, he’s a great public speaker and he’s held in high regard by just about everyone; including me.     

However Seth keeps the bar set high for all of us.   So high in fact that coming close to the bar is damn near impossible, while actually clearing the bar and feeling any sense of victory is something I’ll probably never see in this lifetime, according to Seth. 

Let’s just look at a couple of lines from a few of his blog postings:

·         “Just about all commercial behavior is banal. Even in movies that deal with business people, the characters don't dream nearly big enough about one's ability to change the culture or the enterprise.”

·         “Remarkable doesn't mean remarkable to you. It means remarkable to me. Am I going to make a remark about it? If not, then you're average, and average is for losers.”

·         The world is changing faster than ever and people aren’t adapting fast enough.”

I made this post all about Seth but he’s not alone in this, "yesterday-is-dead, content-is-king, good-is-not-good-enough world."  Everyone seems to have their own version of mastery.  And “master” we must.  Anything short of that is a half-effort that results in little or no reward, recognition or sense of accomplishment.    

In my humble entrepreneurial opinion, I say, give me a break.  Most entrepreneurs I know are some of the hardest working people on the planet.   I truly believe in giving your best plus 10% but I ask;  is it alright if I feel some sort of victory before the goalpost is moved. . .again?        

Vince Lombardi said (and I realize he died in the 70’s – which may as well be a million years ago)

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whatever we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

Is it just me or is that way of thinking pretty much dead? 

Master Your Emotions

Please excuse my absence.  I've been spending time in confusion. 

I’m in the process of making major, sweeping changes to my core business. 

The type of all-encompassing changes that herald in a totally new business model.  It’s a business model that still supports microbusiness but bears little resemblance to my daily activity of talking with entrepreneurs and writing business plans.    

During this upheaval my mind is like a 3-ring circus.  With a full performance happening in every corner and crevice, my brain is at maximum capacity. Not to mention, my monkey mind is also living up to its name, with constant prodding, poking and an incessant restlessness.    

But I’ve been an entrepreneur for years and while this unsettled time is surely not fun, it’s not entirely unfamiliar.  As they say in Texas, this ain’t my first rodeo. 

If I can settle the beast within and remember the purpose of my activity; to grow an impressively profitable business while solving a problem for my target market, I will get through this transition and flourish. 

And I will because I have an arsenal of secret weapons. 

My cache of crutches is a recipe really that consists of equal parts spiritual, transformational and motivational material gleaned from some of the best teachers over the past twenty years.   

Sometimes it takes me awhile to remember I possess the tools that crush my confusion and allow me to go about the business of building a business.  But like riding a bike or swimming a lap, my mental muscle memory guarantees my training to  kick in and make my crooked places straight again. 

I guess it’s possible for people to build successful businesses without having these cycles of fear and overwhelm followed by confidence and vitality but for certain that’s not me.  For me it’s about using rituals that limit fear-based down cycles and encourage an environment where ideas flourish.     

There’s tons of ways to change your emotional state and allows you to take back your creation energy.   You can always start with a Tony Robbins type thing.  Or pick the person, activity or thing that works best for you. 

Sometimes it’s really simple.  As simple as watching a YouTube video.     

See if this doesn’t help:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUF36chCPuA