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CRAVE BlogWhat is that ultimate relationship that you engage in every day? Hint… it’s all about taking care of YOU!
Watch this video by CRAVE wellness guru Jamie Living.
What is that ultimate relationship that you engage in every day? Hint… it’s all about taking care of YOU!
Watch this video by CRAVE wellness guru Jamie Living.
Madeline Albright, former Secretary of State, famously says, “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”
While many of us crave the BFF who we can call for heart-felt-chit-chat, the friend who will bring us chicken-noodle soup when we’re sick, and the confidante who is consistently present in the ups-and-downs of life; there is also a huge need for a different kind of friend in our life: the BBF.
Not to be confused with BFF’s, what we also need are women who are going to be champions of our ambitions, companies, and platforms: our Business Best Friends.
BBF’s are women who recognize that a rising tide lifts all boats. Women who hold with ease the belief that one doesn’t lose when another wins, that there are enough miracles for all of us, that my success isn’t threatened by yours, that there is room, a lot more room for successful women. Women who are willing to promote each other, brainstorm with one another, and mentor each other in our various fields of expertise and experience.
Women who don’t just want others to do it for them, but are willing to also give it. Generously. To those behind them, to those ahead of them, to those beside them.
How You Can Create a Common Friends Group
You see there are 5 different kinds of friends. If you only build up BFF’s (what I term Commitment Friends) then you could be lacking amazing resources and inspiration that come from different types of friend. (For more on my 5 Circles of Connectedness: see my blog with videos)
One of my favorite circles is the Common Friends circle—the friends we develop around one shared interest or goal—whether it be in church, around politics, in an art class, or as part of a mom’s group. If you own your own business or are thinking of starting one—then a BBF group, women who are as passionate about business as you are is the way to go!
Call it a mastermind, an entrepreneur support group, a success team, or as one of my BBF’s likes to describe it: a personal advisory board that we all share.
Building a group of business friends is my favorite way of networking.
Here’s how to create your own:
Invite: Join one on meetup.com or through a local chapter of a business club, or start your own. This year I reached out to two local female entrepreneurs who impress me to see if either of them was interested in starting one with me. They both said yes. We’ll each invite 3 other women, some that we know, others that we want to know.
What’s most important here is to figure out what you want everyone to have in common. Is it better to have a group where you all come from different industries and networks (therefore being able to bring different skills and contacts to the table) or it better to have a group where you share synergy because you’re all in the same field who can sympathize, brainstorm, and partner up for events (i.e. all being therapists/coaches, authors/speakers, tech start-ups, or retailers) or perhaps the commonality is that you all have a shared target audience (i.e. all retailers on the same block, all vendors to small businesses).
A word of wisdom: typically the best size for real sharing and synergy is between 6-10 people. And of those who join, it is common to ask for a commitment that they plan to attend at least 10 of the 12 months, or something that ensures that this group experiences a loyalty and familiarity that can only come with consistency.
Format: There are so many different ways of organizing these groups so the most important thing is making sure that at the first meeting everyone is on the same page, coalesced around the shared purpose.
My mastermind last year started with 30 minutes of socializing and mingling over snacks, then we had a guest expert for 30 minutes (on subjects we had all agreed upon at the beginning of the year that were of interest to our businesses and professional growth), then the last 90 minutes were split up with each group member getting 10 minutes of the group time to share a win/celebration in their business and a challenge where they wanted the group to help brainstorm.
Some groups have everyone set their annual goals and report each month on their individual progress. Other groups may decide to organize an event together that generates promotion for everyone. Another fun idea is to have each person in the group facilitate a different month—teaching for 10-15 minutes in their area of expertise. There are obviously a myriad of options for how the group can help each other.
Usually in about 4-5 months in you’ll start sensing the feel of community developing. You’ll feel like you have real cheerleaders in your city who want your success and can help be your ambassadors. You’ll become more honest and vulnerable, supporting each other through the pain points of business. You’ll be glad there are people you brought in closer than simply what can be done in an evening of hand-shaking and business card passing. It does take some intentionality. It does take some commitment.
And it’s worth it. Worth it to invest yourself in someone else, knowing they are doing the same for you. May we be women who truly show up to fuel each other’s goals, help overcome the obstacles, and become the best we can be in our businesses.
If Madeline Albright is right, then it must also be true: “There is a special place in heaven for women to help each other.”
And I want to be one of them. And I want you to be, too.
Shasta Nelson, M.Div. (@girlfrndcircles) is a relationship strategist, life coach, and founder of GirlFriendCircles.com, a women’s friendship matching site in 35 cities across the U.S. She blogs weekly at Shasta’s Friendship Blog and for the Huffington Post.
Guest blogger: Erin Pierce of pixology
My first job out of college was at a small technical firm who offered computer support, software sales and website design. Without knowing it, when I was hired and appointed “head of the web department” (which consisted of me), I was essentially running a business within a business. Right around the six-month mark, when all of the previous projects were dried up, I realized they expected me to generate my own work. Me? I was absolutely clueless. I knew nothing about generating new clients, vaguely remembered an over-zealous business school friend use the term “networking,” and shuddered at the thought of shoving my business card in someone’s face while giving my “sales pitch.” Vomit.
Then one day it hit me. What if the key to business is the same as the key to life? Relationships. I quickly found a few business events and started to build my empire, urr, small network of great people. Since then, I’ve learned a few things I’d like to share.
No matter where or how you meet new people, by introduction, through networking events or via fun interest-oriented gatherings (i.e. community service, group hiking trips, book club, etc.) remember building your business is about building strong relationships. Businesses are not built by machines, computers or robots, they are built by people like you and me.
Now, march your authentic self down to the next CRAVEchat, seek out a few fabulous women, learn about them both personally and professionally, then ask them out on a coffee date. There is nothing better than connecting with awesome female entrepreneurs over a delicious tax-deductible latte.
Erin Pierce, Owner of pixology
CRAVE entrepreness and marketing coach, Stephanie Ward talks about flipping how you get through your to-do list. Flipping it doesn’t have to mean changing everything about your business or rewriting your business plan, it can be something as simple as flipping how you organize your daily tasks to maximize productivity.
I know it’s a radical idea, the death of your to-do list so bear with me while I explain.
Think about it, a long to-do list is a giant energy drain and waste of time.
Have you ever noticed how the list keeps growing instead of disappearing?
Imagine waking up every morning feeling confident that you have enough time to accomplish the goals you have set for the day. Picture yourself wrapping things up at the end of the day knowing that you have not wasted your time or energy and that the actions you completed are supporting you in creating a profitable business.
Intrigued? The great news is that it is simple to kill your to-do list. Here’s how. First, take a long hard look at your massive to-do list and put a number one next to the actions that are high priority (I know, I hear you shouting they are all high priority, trust me they aren’t).
Go through the list again and rank the medium priority actions with a number two and low priority actions with a number three.
Now, get out your calendar and take each high priority action and place it into your schedule. Choose a date that it will be completed as well as a realistic block of time for completion (start and finish time). Continue doing this with the medium priority actions and finish with the low priority actions.
This will work for you no matter what kind of calendar you use. Choose a system that works for you. The concept of integrating your actions into your planning is much more important than the type of calendar you use.
New opportunities do come up and you can update and adjust your planning as needed. The difference is that now the things you have planned are already prioritized so if something new comes up, you will be able to consider its importance in relation to existing priorities. This is much more effective than simply adding another action to the bottom of a list.
Also, make sure you schedule in some free time each day for unplanned things that come up. If you can’t find a place for some of the low priority actions don’t worry, I have a solution for you below (see benefit number three).
Let me confess something, I know to-do lists don’t work because I am a former owner of a long to-do list (that never got done). Since I killed my to-do list and consciously thought about what I really want to get done, I am much more productive and feel confident about the direction of my business.
Benefits for You:
1. Doing this forces you to reconsider what you are doing with your time and this allows you to get clear about what your real priorities are.
2. You will have a realistic picture of what you can really accomplish in a certain time period (each day, week, month, etc.).
3. There will probably be some things that won’t fit into your schedule and this gives you a chance to consider dropping them or delegating them. I like to call this your “to-don’t” list. If you are a solopreneur and don’t have employees who can pick up the slack, you can always outsource.
4. You will reduce overwhelm and stress because you will no longer be confronted daily with a giant list of things you know you won’t get done that day. This way you will get more accomplished, stay on track, and remain focused.
5. You will feel great about the actions you plan to take each day because you know they are aligned with your long term goals and that doing them will move you forward toward reaching them.
Anyone who is serious about building a sustainable and profitable business needs to be sure they are spending their time and energy on the right things.
Are you are beginning to see that a long to-do list that isn’t prioritized with actions that aren’t connected to a actual dates for completion isn’t efficient?
It can be scary to integrate your to-do list into your calendar and I promise, it is worth it. What do you have to lose? Try it and if it doesn’t work you can always go back to the never-ending list of things that never get done.
Stop living in denial about what you can realistically get done and choose to plan and execute profitable actions that will grow your business!
© Stephanie Ward
Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.
Ever noticed you can sense when you’ve made a mistake or bad decision in your business? It is not always crystal-clear but perhaps you were nervous about taking a particular step, ignored your intuition, pushed through then realized CRAP, I’ve made a bad move! Don’t worry, my dear. There is not a single crave-able lady who has not made a poor business decision or hit a creative wall after spending hours and hours with their particular business baby.
The beauty of being business owners is we are driven (some may even say compelled!) to see our businesses thrive and are very quick to regroup and get things back on track. The problem is that many times we jump right back on the same track that led us to the crappy business decision in the first place. This is a sign the business blinders have been on far too long. We need to slow down, step back and see what needs to be flipped!
The same thing goes for our food. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results (thank you Mr. Einstein), and yet how often have we jumped from one diet to the next thinking, “YES, this is going to be the one that works!”? Or popped open a can of diet coke hoping it would squelch our sweet need only to find it gets us thinking about chocolate and that left over piece of cake in the fridge? Especially when trying to eat healthfully, it is extremely difficult to see that what we are eating may not be working.
So how do you know when your food needs a flip? Here are three easy-to-identify signs that will get you on the right track:
1) You are a super slug in the morning- Granted some of us are simply not morning people. However, if you find that when your alarm goes off your head, eyes, arms and legs all scream NO!!, this is a sign that whatever was for dinner (lunch or breakfast) the day before is not working for you and needs a flip.
2) Crazy cravings- Cravings are not a bad thing. They are simply your body saying, “Hey, I need something!” Where problems arise is when you misinterpret these cravings and eat the wrong thing, which then continues the craving cycle.
3) Eating for Function- If you are eating out of the sheer need to survive, girlfriend we have got some serious food flipping to do! Food certainly is needed to stay alive however there is also great joy and unbelievable flavors and tastes to be gotten out of the experience of eating. It’s often when we eat those “health” foods (think cottage cheese, a dry bagel and salad with lite dressing) that our tongue eventually rebels and says, “Give me ice cream or give me death!” There is a happy medium between eating for function and going hoagie-heaven, hog-wild and more often than not, a quick food flip will do the trick.
So the next time you are craving like crazy, need a double venti mocha to get out of bed, or are completely uninspired by your bowl of special K, consider giving your food a little flip. It may just be exactly what you need to start feeling fabulous!
In the meantime, I’d love to know what you have done in the past to flip your food or what you plan to try. Reach out and tell me in the comments below. Come on, don’t be shy!
Jamie G. Dougherty is the owner and founder of Jamie Living, Health and Lifestyle Coaching and food guru extraordinaire! She is a certified Holistic Nutrition Coach with a private and corporate practice that offers assistance nationwide. She is the author of the wildly popular e-cookbook, Spring Forward to the New You: 30 Delicious and Cleansing Recipes for your Fabulous Figure and is the food guru to busy, frustrated women ready to let go and become healthy, fun and fabulous! Be sure to join Jamie on Facebook and Twitter and get your free 5-STEP GUIDE TO FABULOUS at JAMIELIVING.
When you’re starting out, doubt creeps in quickly. It’s easy to second-guess decisions or mull over details that end up being irrelevant. But don’t let this feeling lessen the value of your knowledge. Believing that your own instincts aren’t valid because you’re a bit green to the business world is a mistake.
The number one thing I would challenge any business owner to flip is their perspective. Always, always, always go with your gut.
What is your gut? It’s your intuition, that instant feeling that something is going to work or not. It’s a clue your high level brain delivers to spur action long before you can put it into words. Harvard professor and psychologist Howard Gardner puts it this way, “Gut instinct is basically a form of pattern recognition.”
Recognizing clear patterns of behavior in people sets clear expectations. Life experience alone exposes the variety of viewpoints. And business experience even more so reveals people’s beliefs in many other areas- business strategy & ethics, life motivation & goals and respect for & treatment of others.
This experience transforms your gut from one of pure emotion-driven instinct to what Linda Rink, President of Rink Consulting, calls, “an informed gut.” An informed gut is fueled by the knowledge of industry trends, an understanding of clients & prospects and routine assessment of team members.
Once you have an informed gut, you’ll find it essential for the following decisions:
1. Leaving Clients Behind
If you have to rationalize their attitude, behavior or unwillingness to pay your set fees, don’t take on that client. Don’t be afraid to turn away potential clients that are going to nitpick or penny pinch the entire process—you’ll always feel you can’t deliver and they’ll feel they’re overpaying for something they don’t love.
2. Expanding your Business
At many points in your business you reach a proverbial crossroads. It seems growth is inevitable, but it’s also daunting. Should you invest in expanding your team now, or wait? Outside factors will try to sway you, but you know what will propel your business to continued success. Don’t hold back simply because an economist wants to tell you it’s not the right time, stick to your informed gut.
3. Calling it Quits
If you’re working with a vendor that doesn’t have the same values, you can’t rely on them to help your team provide a positive client experience. And the same goes for a team member; they may have the appropriate skill set to get the job done, but they may lack the ability to deliver with the timeliness and attitude you value.
Shifting your perspective does not come easily. It takes time to strengthen your ‘informed gut,’ constantly growing in information and experience while more devotedly relying on those gut checks— first impressions or reactions. But once you recognize the value of these instincts, you’ll find your decision-making process becomes more fluid and less cluttered with regret. So go ahead, flip it!
Maria Orozova is the President & Creative Director of The MOD Studio in Austin, Texas. MOD is a boutique design studio and the creative powerhouse behind many local and national brands, and our 16 ADDYS and 19 GDUSA awards prove it. For more information visit www.themodstudio.com or follow us on facebook.com/theMODstudio and twitter.com/theMODstudio
A fantastic way to round out your entrepreneurial vision is by identifying one or several mentors to help you blaze your path to success. A mentor is typically a professional who has already earned the same type of accomplishments you aspire to yourself. Ideally, this person agrees to act as a mentor for you and provides you with insights and guidance on your own career strategy and journey. Keep in mind that sometimes people can act as mentors without even knowing. Here are 5 tips to help you identify your mentor (s):
1) Determine Your Mentor Needs
It is mission critical that you get crystal clear with what your general aspirations are, so that you are also aware of what you are hoping to gain from your mentor relationship. Begin by examining what facet of your particular industry or expertise it is that you want to expand or develop. Then, consider what area of this focus might be the most challenging for you and therein might be your area of mentor needs.
2) Think Local AND Global
It is ideal if you can find a local mentor whom you can actually spend time with as well as someone who is or has made their mark globally to further enhance your perspective and points of view. The best way to identify both these people is to engage with in-person and online trade/business organizations. Begin with a simple Google search and also ask your social network community where they network and have fun with your community building.
3) Expand Your Horizons
Just because you are a woman, does not mean that your mentors always have to be women. Men can be just as powerful mentors. Don’t narrow your search to necessarily your particular area of work or even your country. Be flexible and open minded about whom might best appeal to you. For example, I am a Leadership Coach and Consultant who plans to expand into media and the television industry over the next few years, so I have mentors who are media personalities but have nothing to do with my core coaching work.
4) Optimize Your Current Network
This exercise can best be accomplished by building up your LinkedIn profile. Begin collecting contacts from your hometown, high school, college, graduate school, previous and current jobs, friends, friends of friends, family, contacts from your place of worship/hobbies/sports organizations etc. No contact is too abstract! You never know who might be able to put you in contact with the perfect mentor.
5) Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
You’ve made it this far, don’t get shy on us now! The beauty of social media is that it takes the laborious efforts of networking and makes strategic connecting easy and efficient. Keep in mind, you always want to be professional and polished on the networks where you are representing yourself professionally and personally. Finally, put your specific mentor request out to your universe and follow up on all suggestions and offers to connect you with the right people.
Now go for it!
Katie C. Kelley specializes in igniting and emboldening women to become more effective, inspired business leaders. She primarily partners with directors, managers and entrepreneurs as a Corporate and Private Coach, a Seminar Producer and as a Motivational Speaker. Ms. Kelley is also a regular expert adviser on Portland’s top rated morning television talk show, ABC’s “AM Northwest”. Influenced by her experience in psychotherapy and business, Katie’s approach combines an innate understanding of her clients’ needs with fresh perspective on risk-taking. www.LegacyBuilderCoaching.com
As the “Most Interesting Man In The World” so eloquently describes career choice, “Find that one thing you do not do well, and then don’t do it.”
This is one of the more valuable lessons the clever ad campaign teaches us. I can’t tell you how important it is to recognize areas that aren’t your strengths and ask for help. This is just one of the many things I’ve learned from my mentors in business and in life.
The “Most Interesting Man” campaign for Dos Equis has been wildly popular with audiences and has shown us something crucial about success: We need people to admire, to ignite our creative passion, people to emulate.
Whether it’s a character, a teacher, a peer, a boss, we can probably all name at least one person who was integral to our current success.
So what IS a mentor exactly? Standard definition will tell you it’s a “wise and trusted counselor or teacher,” but I prefer a little more break down–the Greek “mentos” is synonymous with “intent, purpose, spirit, passion.”
Mentors not only teach but also inspire. Especially as an entrepreneur, I’ve learned many important lessons from those more experienced than I.
Here are just a handful of those lessons:
1. Become skilled at understanding what motivates others
In a leadership position in particular, it’s important to know how other people work. What do they require to do their best? Is it money? Is it recognition and encouragement? Knowing this will allow you to motivate your team to produce superior results
2. Family, Friends & Money do NOT mix.
But we’re SUCH great friends! But it’s my family, so I feel obligated. No matter the reason, when it comes to family and friends, steer clear of any endeavor where they become your client or vice versa. It is a rare exception when it ends well.
3. The Power of No: When to Say it & When NOT to accept it
When you should say it? When you’re being taken advantage of. Yes, you should cater to your clients, but when they cross a line, you need to stand firm. When not to accept it? When you believe in your business, idea, creation, whatever. Show some moxie and you’ll persuade people.
4. Give your best, no matter what the task
Whether you’re facing the challenge of developing a business plan or simply organizing your files, the same amount of effort should be exerted. If you’re not going to give 100 percent, don’t bother.
5. Positivity, Always.
More than just “rolling with the punches,” being positive is a mindset for approaching life. People will flock to you for your encouraging attitude and enjoy doing business with you.
Maria Orozova is the President & Creative Director of The MOD Studio in Austin, Texas. MOD is a boutique design studio and the creative powerhouse behind many local and national brands, and our 16 ADDYS and 19 GDUSA awards prove it. For more information visit www.themodstudio.com or follow us on facebook.com/theMODstudio and twitter.com/theMODstudio
Do you need a food guru?
Food seems like the simplest thing in the world, doesn’t it? We all know it’s the fuel that keeps up alive so we just need to eat it, right?? Wrong! What to eat and how to eat it might be the two most difficult questions facing a busy business owner. Yes, even more difficult than how to market yourself or price your services because if you don’t eat, and particularly don’t eat well, you aren’t going to last long enough to enjoy your beautifully built business. Follow me?
What to eat constantly changes depending on the newest edition of Shape magazine or current topic on Dr. Oz. This bombardment of conflicting food information quickly become overwhelming and makes us want to throw up our hands and say, FORGET IT! Add to this the already consuming stress of being a CRAVE-able business lady and (despite your best intentions) by 3 pm your right hand is deep in a bag of M&M’s and a latte or diet coke sits in your left. Don’t worry my dear, we’ve all been there. You try your hardest to eat well and do right by your body but you can only do so much when being pulled in 15 different directions. I totally get it! So how do you begin to weed through the murky mess of food info and learn how to balance what to eat with your busy day?
Find a food guru! Just as mentorship is imperative to creating a strong business, so too is a food guru in helping you build a thriving and beautiful body. Though it may seem simple enough, food (and our eating habits and emotions around it) is complicated stuff and not easy to figure out alone. Here are 5 ways to know if you need a food guru:
In these eating on-the-go, too much sugar and quick-fix diet days, it is extremely important to get support around your food and lifestyle concerns. If any of these questions spoke to you, it is seriously time to find yourself a food guru. With the right one, you will be amazing with all you accomplish!
Jamie G. Dougherty is the owner and founder of Jamie Living, Health and Lifestyle Coaching and food guru extraordinaire! She is a certified Holistic Nutrition Coach with a private and corporate practice that offers assistance nationwide. She is the author of the wildly popular e-cookbook, Spring Forward to the New You: 30 Delicious and Cleansing Recipes for your Fabulous Figure and is the food guru to busy, frustrated women ready to let go and become healthy, fun and fabulous!
Join Jamie on Facebook and Twitter and get your free 5-STEP GUIDE TO FABULOUS at JAMIELIVING.
For those who have never worked with a web designer, knowing the proper steps to take before meeting with one can be difficult to decipher.
When starting any project, you must first define the scope. Knowing how and what to plan will ensure a good working relationship with your future designer and help produce a high-quality product. It all starts with defining your preferences. By doing so, you will better understand your needs and assist your future designer in better serving you. In short, you need a business plan that addresses what you’d like your site to be. Here are several suggestions to aid you in developing and defining the scope of your website.
What is my business all about? Use descriptive words to capture your business’s personality and objective. Reflect on your mission statement (if applicable) and how you would like to portray your business.
What will be the purpose of my website? Creating an informational site versus creating a social networking site are two very different things. Your website’s purpose is one of your first decisions.
Who am I trying to reach? Outline your target audience. Are they professionals? What is their age range, demographics, interests, technical ability, etc?
What specific features do I want? This question goes hand in hand with the last two. For more informational sites, a blog could be a very useful tool. But if you sell items online, you will need to direct people to a purchasing page, not a blog.
Will the information on my website need to be frequently updated after it is built? Think about the information you are giving to your users. For example, if you have a product whose specifications change weekly, consider whether you want to edit the website yourself (i.e. via a content management system) or if you would rather pay someone else to manage it (contract with a maintenance service).
What is my budget? Be reasonable. Remember that a website is a passive marketing tool, working for you when you are not working. Think of it as an expansion of your company’s services and hours. Many people misperceive the cost of a website. It is important to keep this in mind: the price can vary anywhere from $1,000 to more than $50,000. Features such as blogs, content management, Flash animation and slideshows, as well as labor time and creativity, determine the price you will eventually pay.
What other sites do I like? List five or more sites that you have seen, either in your industry or in general, which you believe are well-designed. Provide the URL and a description as to why you like the site and specifically, which elements on the site you feel are working well. Examples are always very helpful for designers to get a better idea of what you are looking for.
How do I want to organize what I want to say? Create a site map by outlining every major section and subsection with the items you would like to include on those pages.
A simple example would be:
-Home (+ photo slideshow)
-About Us
-History
-Mission Statement
-Team
-Services & Pricing
-Blog
-Contact (with online form)
When referring back to these questions, take notes. In the end, your goal is to minimize the chance of miscommunication and optimize the quality of the end product. Put together a Word document that clearly answers each item. From this you will have a strong starting point for meeting with a web designer.
Erin Pierce is the owner of pixology, an interactive design boutique. To learn more about Erin and her work please visit her website here.