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Capture & Captivate: A Killer 60 Seconds

March 30, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)


Regardless of what kind of business you run or where you run it from, effective communication skills are a necessity. The one business strength that every successful entrepreneur should own is the ability to be your company’s best spokesperson.

Even before you land the new client or close the sale, your potential client needs to understand what you are talking about, why they should care and how your product or service can benefit them. In the world of communication and business it is called an elevator speech (aka elevator pitch, elevator presentation,
or elevator story).

An effective elevator speech is no more than 2 minutes maximum (ideally 30 – 60 seconds) and is designed to play the role of a high-level introduction to whatever it is that you are selling.

Why you need an elevator speech?
There is no doubt that you are passionate about what you do and or sell and know your product or service inside out. The reality is that your potential customers are at most times not as passionate or interested in the minute details and intricacies of your product or services as you are. They are only interested in; why they should care about what you telling them and how your product or service can benefit them – and that is it! Even more, you only have around 40 seconds to make a powerful first impression. The attention span of the average person is just 30 -45 seconds before their mind starts wandering.

An elevator speech is one of those things that so many people think, “Hmmm, I should have one of those” but never get around to actually crafting.

Attention, all new and seasoned entrepreneurs … a solid elevator speech is critical to your success.

What goes into an elevator speech?
An elevator speech is about sharing the right information with a potential client so that something will intrigue them to; give you more time, a call, a meeting, a visit to your website. You are essentially trying to warm their buying temperature.

The aim is not to try and sell yourself really quickly; it’s about asking permission for more time to sell yourself properly.

It is a clear and compelling message that concisely and memorably introduces you, your service or your product. It spotlights your uniqueness. It focuses on the benefits you provide. And it is delivered effortlessly.

Equally as important as putting the right things in your elevator speech are ensuring that you don’t put the wrong things in it. Here are a few things that should not be a part of your elevator speech.

What to leave out of your Elevator Speech

~Do not share your extensive list of degrees, certificates and awards. No one cares as much as you do, especially when you only have their attention for less than two minutes.

~Do not start speaking by saying I am so nervous. That conveys a lack of confidence. When was the last time you lined up to work with someone who was not confident about themselves their product or service?

~Do not wing it, don’t try and develop your 2 minute pitch in the moment. Be prepared and know exactly what message you want your potential client to walk away with.

Most importantly, here a few tips to help you craft and deliver your killer elevator speech.

What to include in you Elevator Speech

~Have FUN with your elevator pitch and don’t be too serious! People respond to anything that makes them smile.

~Keep it SHORT. The shorter it is (ideally around 30-60 seconds), the easier it is to deliver when you only have a few seconds. Remember, clear, concise and compelling.

~Get right to the BENEFITS. What do you do that people want, and what results can they expect -tell them loud and clear!

~Develop a few VERSIONS of your elevator pitch. Ideally you want to have two or three elevator pitches for different types of customers and different types of settings

~PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. The more your practice, the more natural it will sound and the better your delivery will be – best of all the more comfortable you will be delivering it!

Remember, what ever comes out of your mouth in this short duration of time is the first and last impression you will leave in your potential clients mind. Make the choice to craft an elevator speech that leaves the right impression!

Karen Donaldson is a Motivational Speaker, Public Speaking and Presentation skills coach and Founder of Karen Donaldson Inc and Panache Life Inc. She has helped numerous executives, entrepreneurs and sales professionals become panic free presenters, communicate with confidence and clarity, command attention whenever they speak and deliver presentations that close the sale.

Visit Karen at www.karendonaldsoninc.com for free resources, one-on-one coaching and upcoming events.

Outsourcing: Easier Than You Think

March 28, 2011 by Sarah Clise | Comments (0)


My good friend and mentor Murray Smith will emphatically tell any business owner, “hire people who play at things you work at.” This was a concept that I always understood intellectually; in fact it made a lot of sense. Living it was a different story.

As I headed into my second year of business I knew I had to make some changes if I wanted to achieve what I had set out to do; both professionally and personally. I was exhausted and feeling frustrated with my business. I was spending a lot of my time on activities that I didn’t necessarily enjoy, weren’t fulfilling and most importantly, were preventing me from growing my business. I realized I had a lot of fear of letting go of control. I made the decision that it was time to get out of my own way. I had to face my fears, make some decisions and implement change. I’m the first to admit, this doesn’t happen over night. It time though, small but pivotal changes will have a huge impact on your overall success.

Since making changes in how I spend my time and what my focus is on a daily basis, I am in more control of my business, more productive and I am really enjoying it again. Some of the changes that I implemented were outsourcing bookkeeping and accounting, newsletter template design, in-store marketing design/printing and hiring a consultant to assist me with development of my social media marketing strategy. I now spend more time focused on activities that grow my business, such as sales and marketing, new product development and training and development of my staff.

When it comes to hiring the right person or firm for the areas/tasks you would want to outsource, it is sometimes easier than we think. Put it out to your network of friends, colleagues, business associates and other business owners. I found my new accountant through my hairdresser. She is fabulous!

Another common concern when it comes to outsourcing is cash flow. As business owners, this is a constant juggling act, especially in the first few years. We will most likely ask ourselves, can I afford to? Instead, ask can I afford not to? Remember to keep in mind your long-term goals. Also, don’t be afraid to shop around and negotiate. Most people are willing to work with you when it comes to pricing and/or payment options. But you don’t know unless you ask.

I also encourage you to utilize your staff. Research has shown that it is not just monetary satisfaction that keeps employees happy. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do they enjoy doing? I had a big aha with this one as a result of being really sick with a bad cold and flu, thus unable to go into my store for almost five days. There were many things that needed to get done, including new merchandising and window display. I left the store in the hands of my staff and they did an amazing job! I decided to speak with them further about what they enjoy, what they don’t like, and what they would like to learn. These conversations have since allowed me to delegate some of the day to day responsibilities such as ordering, fulfilling and shipping out online orders, store merchandising and various essential but often time-consuming tasks that I now only follow up with on a regular basis. At the same time, I am empowering them, instilling confidence in them and providing them with the opportunity to learn and grow, which results in employee retention, loyalty and higher levels of productivity.

Lastly, it doesn’t always have to cost you money. Tap into your network of friends and family. You really don’t have to do it all yourself. Often our friends and family have skills that we don’t have and are only too happy to offer a lending hand.

Murray, who is also an accomplished entrepreneur himself, knows what he is talking about when he says, “Hire people who play at things you work at.” Allow yourself to make changes in small steps. As you start to work more in areas of your business that involve your strengths and outsource your weaknesses, you will see growth that will only inspire you to continue on that path. This is what is often referred to as working smarter, not harder. Whatever stage you are at in your business, I encourage you to take a good look at it and see if there are duties that you can outsource so that you can focus on what you are best at. Trust me, it is a decision that you will be happy that you made.

Jennifer Best is the founder of Steeped and Infused, a fabulous loose leaf tea business with two locations in Toronto.

A Budget-Friendly “Outsourcing” Trick

March 25, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)


When we talk about embracing our strengths and outsourcing weaknesses, we understandably think of hiring web designers, bookkeepers and virtual assistants to help keep us focused on the meat of what we do best.

We know this. But it’s easier said than done, especially in the beginning.

How else might we *outsource* weaknesses, without actually outsourcing and paying a fee?

I do it through something I call ‘autopilot’. I gather together the things I hate to do, keep the list right of center on my peg board over my desk, and when I have to do these dreaded things that draw on my weakest abilities, I systemically action my way through them by boiling down the time I do them in, and using a timer. I try to do *outsourced* tasks in an hour or less.

In other words, I’ll make up whatever story or corner-cutting method I have to, to trick myself into getting through something I don’t like, without doing something far worse, which is to postpone a task, or hope it goes away magically.

It helps if I chunk the task down into bite size pieces.

Updating your Web site,  a potentially time-consuming task, is definitely something to tackle in chunks. I really don’t want to outsource all things to a Virtual Assistant, especially WordPress updates. Yet I really hate figuring out which widget I need to install, and altering Pages, which I have to do on a fairly regular basis. It’s not a strength of mine to figure out mechanical or technical things. Not only do I have little interest or patience for it, but it bores me a bit. I’d rather be working on a class proposal or coming up with content for a workshop.

I *outsource* this task to myself and do it at intervals, using a timer, and never attemp to bite off more than one technical project at a time.

A ‘project’ is something that could be, for some, as simple as installing a Facebook Fan Page widget on my Web site.

In fact, I auto-piloted a project just yesterday. True to form, installing the widget took longer than usual, because after installing a text box and cribbing the code from FB, it still didn’t fit in my sidebars. I had to call someone who maneuvered with me over the phone to adjust the ‘width’ of the widget to fit my page dimensions.

If we don’t figure out a way to spend the majority of time on stuff we are good at, we slowly drain our feelings of effectiveness and confidence. Our source energy lights people up AND keeps us strongly motivated, so we can’t afford to let anything take up residence in our vital spaces that isn’t predominantly a strength.

Once upon a time, some would encourage you to master your weaknesses. I’ve only ever found the opposite: Embrace strengths and *outsource* weaknesses.

Jillian J. Davis helps people define their life’s work and live it. You can find her blog and more about who she helps atwww.jillianjdavis.com.

How To Be A Savvy Superwoman

March 23, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)


Often times we women carry a Superwoman complex. Whether it’s imposed on us by our family, friends or communities, the Superwoman cape is one that we wear proudly… Monday through Sunday. Our formal training bears little to no relevance on the countless tasks that we are handed each day. We Superwomen have to be careful to not let this distinguished title affect how we manage our businesses. What do I mean by that?

Our inner Superwoman may lead us to believe that not only CAN we run our business as a team of one, but that we SHOULD run our business as a team of one. We have to remember, however, that asking for help is okay. A true Superwoman is savvy and knows how to outsource those weaknesses. Here is your guide to being a Savvy Superwoman:

A Savvy Superwoman can identify her weaknesses. She is self-assured and knows that she is not a master of all things. Even more importantly, she is okay with it.

Savvy Superwoman Action Item: Make a list of your obvious strengths and weaknesses. Now, put your pride on the shelf…are there tasks that you have taken on, that have not produced the results that you expected? Your answer is probably a resounding yes! If so, those are more than likely…your less-than-obvious weaknesses. Add them to the list!

A Savvy Superwoman has an A Team. The A Team is a circle of close friends and colleagues who are a support system. Not only that, but they are skilled and probably represent many different industries. These are the people who she forms strategic partnerships with in order to enhance the success of her business (and theirs as well). For instance, maybe you want to have a customer appreciation party for your clients. You may not be great at event planning, but is there someone in your A Team that fits the bill?

Savvy Superwoman Action Item: List everyone who is in your immediate and extended network. Then, list their profession, skills and/or strengths. Now you have an A Team!

Here is your final task…

Compare your list of weaknesses with your A Team roster. Are there any matches? If so, then congrats…outsourcing your weaknesses will be a breeze. If you offer a service or skill that the other person may need, consider bartering. In this economy, many people may be open to bartering. Once you’ve distributed tasks among your A Team, then you can look to outside sources. The A Team can be a great place to seek referrals.

Happy outsourcing Savvy Superwoman!

_________________________________

Patrice N. Perkins is the founder and editor of My Lifestyle ZEN, a Chicago-based blog for working professionals and entrepreneurs who value quality of life. You can visit Patrice’s website here: http://www.mylifestylezen.com/

Jennifer Lee and the Right-Brain Business Plan

March 22, 2011 by Sarah Clise | Comments (0)


If a business plan is what you crave, Jennifer Lee is your go-to gal. She’s an entrepreneur, certified coach, writer, founder of Artizen Coaching, and so much more. We LOVE the concept behind her new book, The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success, and we were lucky enough to pick her brain on her book as well as her take on this month’s CRAVE theme, outsourcing weakness and embracing strength.

What’s the philosophy or message behind your new book, The Right-Brain Business Plan?

The main message is that your natural, creative right-brain genius is your most valuable business asset. So let it work for you!

You have many different components to your business / website. What do you do yourself and what do you outsource?

In my book, I take people through a couple of exercise to help with this (pp. 127-131). Going through those lists helped me sort out what makes sense for me to do and what to get help with.

What I do myself:

  • Strategy and vision
  • Business planning and development – identifying and making most of potential opportunities
  • Content creation
  • Writing my book, blog posts, newsletter, etc.
  • Designing and developing course materials, workshops, programs, etc.
  • Designing and developing products
  • Providing services to customers
  • Coaching
  • Leading groups
  • Speaking
  • Managing the moola
  • Financial projections/budget (with some occasional help from bookkeeper)
  • Billing and collecting payment
  • Paying vendors
  • Depositing checks (fun!)
  • Getting my statements and receipts to my bookkeeper monthly
  • Social media
  • Marketing and PR
  • Designing and updating my websites
  • Production and mailing of products (this is one I want to outsource soon!)

I outsource:

  • Accounting
  • Bookkeeping (I did it myself for the first few years until it became a nightmare!)
  • Legal (trademarks, contracts, etc.)
  • Graphic design and illustration for print and creative projects
  • Technical support (I’m fortunate that my husband can handle most all techie things and bonus he’s an awesome photographer. I also hired a webinar consultant to help run my recent video summit).
  • Administrative tasks like managing access to the RBBP private online community, helping to manage Facebook fan page, creating and scheduling reminder e-mails, managing my RBBP spotlight submissions, coordinating my blog book tour, answering general customer service or informational type e-mails, setting up products for e-commerce
  • Scheduling – I try and do most of it online through tungle.me
  • I’ve outsourced in the past: copy editing, copywriting, proofreading, and brand consulting
  • Cleaning my house!

How did you determine what to outsource and how did you do that?

I look at all of the things on my plate and figure out what:

  • I’m not that good at
  • Requires expert guidance
  • Drives me crazy, pisses me off, and/or makes me go-cross-eyed
  • I’m decent at but it takes me way too long and my time could be better used elsewhere.

Do you have any tips for surrounding yourself with a great team?

Always be on the look out for great people. Even if you’re not ready to hire someone yet, ask for referrals. That way you’re not choosing someone out of desperation at the last minute (I’ve been there, it didn’t turn out well).
Interview at least three people until you find the right fit.

The more great people you surround yourself with the more they’ll help connect you with other great people (they seem to hang around each other!). And do your part in connecting great people with each other. It’s just good karma.

What aspect of your business are you most passionate about? What’s the best part of your job?

Coming up with and implementing new creative ideas and projects and seeing them have a positive impact in people’s lives. Working directly with my perfect customers – people who are already successful and who are highly committed to taking their life and business to their next level. It’s so rewarding and fulfilling to see them reaching their dreams.

When it comes to creating business plans, what is the most common obstacle entrepreneurs seem to have?

The most common problem is that they actually don’t have a business plan or if they do, they haven’t looked at it in ages.

The most challenging part of your business is….?

Finding enough time to do all of the things I want to do!

If you could give yourself some words of advice 5 years ago, what would it be?

Well, 5 years ago this June was when I left my corporate job so I would say to keep trusting myself and moving forward. And don’t go it alone!

What’s the first step an aspiring entrepreneur should take to make a living doing what she craves?

I’d say the first step is to start talking to positive, supportive people about what you want to be doing. Even if your idea isn’t fully formed yet, the more you put you and your idea out there, the more momentum you’ll gain and connections you’ll make. Plus you’ll start holding yourself accountable to actions you need to do to make your idea real.

What are three things you crave?

  • Creative white space
  • Afternoon naps
  • A personal gourmet chef who also does dishes!

________________

Jennifer Lee, the founder of Artizen Coaching and author of The Right-Brain Business Plan, spent a decade climbing the corporate ladder before pursuing her creative dreams. Through her popular workshops, coaching practice, and writing, she empowers others to follow their passions. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Automate Your Biz for Maximum Sales & Freedom

March 21, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (1)


People always ask me, “how do you ‘Get It All Done’ every month?” or “how do you do so much and make it all look so easy?”.

What I’ve discovered in my 9 years of being an entrepreneur is that the productivity practices I’ve adopted or developed are some of the most important systems that help me achieve this and are why I am at the level I am in my business.

Using systems and consistent ways to market and follow up is entirely how I built my multiple six-figure business. It wasn’t always that easy however; I had to learn the hard way.

I am a recovering control freak myself and tried to do it all but got way burned out and even got divorced along the way. These days I find it much less stressful and more enjoyable to delegate, have systems in place, great functionality on my website so I can attract, talk to and help thousands more entrepreneurs than I ever could before with my old business model and practices.

In my marketing and on my free calls I refer a lot to the templates I use for my email marketing, follow up, direct mail, social media connecting and more; all of which play a big part in not only automatic lead generation but high-volume sales conversions within my business.

There is so much you can do online to market and promote your business but no ONE entrepreneur can ever do it all, at least not effectively of course.

Therefore it is crucial that you learn how to automate as much of your business and marketing tasks as humanly possible. You need to do this though without compromising your relationships or much needed personal touch.

Most entrepreneurs barely reach 5-10% of the potential number of prospects they could with what they attempt to accomplish in their marketing efforts. You can be in many more places and be much more well known if you learn some simple techniques for automating, delegating and systematizing much of what you do.

Common Mistakes I’ve seen over the years with start ups and established business owners:

  • You’re trying to do it all yourself
  • You think you ‘can’t afford it’ whatever IT is
  • You don’t believe in yourself enough to truly charge what you’re worth
  • You’re too busy to do ‘it’ whatever IT is
  • You simply don’t see what’s possible for you, you don’t know what you don’t know
  • You haven’t learned how to run your own successful business yet you think you will just figure it out. You haven’t gone to school to learn how to be a successful entrepreneur! (They don’t teach this in college you know.)

Why it’s important to automate more in your business, your marketing and even your life?

  • To get more time back to do more money-making, client attraction tasks
  • So your business runs, generates leads and income when you’re not there
  • So you can stop working so hard and repeating yourself on things
  • To streamline systems so you can manage more client flow and cash flow

4 Example Homework Exercises I use in my coaching programs that you can do now to start automating and delegating:

Take 2 minutes or so and write out the top 3-5 questions you get asked over and over and over again in your business before someone becomes a customer. Then take those and either put them and their answers onto an FAQ page on your website or on your voicemail or note on your voicemail or email signature where to get more information online.

You can also take those questions (and maybe some more) and put them into a pre-consultation questionnaire or intake form online so when someone wants to speak to you or have a free or initial consultation, you send them to that questionnaire first to give you more information before you speak. This will help qualify prospects more as well.

Take 2 minutes or so and write every single step and thing you do in order of how you would do after you go networking or in order to follow up with a new prospect or group of prospects. Determine what you would send them, say to them, write to them, how often and also develop templates that can be used with little alteration every time. This becomes your follow up system that you can then delegate.

Track your time for 7 days, 24/7. Keep track of everything you do from personal to business and more including housework, internet research, family time, cooking, errands, social media, etc. Then look over that list after the week is up and cross out things that don’t need to be done at all, find someone to take on the tasks you should not be doing or don’t like to do and find ways to automate or delegate many of the other tasks that you’re repeating or that are not necessarily revenue producing tasks.

Those exercises can get you started but if you understand that you can increase your business with more automating, delegating and systematizing then I highly recommend you look for resources or people who can show you what to do.

With more automating and delegating you can increase your income and productivity and reduce your stress about making money as you’ll free up your time to be able to make so much more!

Katrina Sawa is an Award-Winning Author, Speaker and International JumpStart Your Biz Coach who’s helped hundreds of small business owners take dramatic steps in their businesses to get them to the next level in business, revenues and their personal life. She offers one-on-one coaching, group coaching and do-it-yourself business-building products. She’s been featured on various news talk shows and radio shows including Oprah and Friends XM Radio. Go online now to get started with her Free Entrepreneur’s Success Kit and a complimentary Business Strategy Session here!

3 Steps to Falling Back in Love With Your Biz

March 21, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)


I know all about work-life balance stuff. It’s why I started my own business. It’s why I left the corporate world. I had this idea I’d be cooking from-scratch dinners every night and starting each morning with a yoga class. This winter – my business’ third – though, felt especially long. When I checked in with myself, I realized I was working just as many hours as before. I was eating poorly. I was tired. And I was – I hate to even put it into keystrokes – but I was in danger of falling out of love with my writing and design business. It crept up on me so slowly that I didn’t even realize the precariousness of it all. Like a relationship that feels perfect until you get dumped.

Something about my eagerness for spring made me realize I was also hungry for change. Me and my business, we sat down for a heart-to-heart. I took inventory of what I loved, and what I didn’t love. I made a list of the activities that I could do all day long, and the ones that I put off, or that pull me away from the stuff I’m really crazy about. For me, I come to life sitting in my yellow office, writing. I enjoy meeting new clients too. Where I was getting buried was in the e-mail department. Through my website, I receive e-mails every day. I want every person who connects with Pink Elephant Communications to feel loved and cared for. After all, it’s hard to go out on a limb and ask a stranger for help. But all that e-mail and all of those new client meetings meant if I were to do any writing, it’d be in the evenings. Fourteen hours (and more) is a long work day.

So here’s the plan I made to rekindle the Carrie-Pink Elephant Communications love affair.

1. Get help.
The very first step was getting cool with the idea of needing help. It was an adjustment after wearing so many hats for so long. I sent a message out to my Twitter followers, asking for virtual assistant recommendations. Within minutes I had the name of The Perfect Candidate. After our first e-mail exchange, I knew she’d fit right in. Then I kicked myself for not seeking her out sooner. She’s now handling the initial e-mails with clients as well as some invoicing. (Insert big, fat PHEW!)

2. Batch and schedule.
What was interrupting the long swaths of writing time I’d fantasized about? Meetings and e-mail. So I set up a new Google calendar and I blocked one day a week for meetings and then implemented a new policy: E-mail-free Fridays. By batching my meetings all together, other weekdays were left intact. With Fridays now dedicated to projects, free from e-mail, I can work consistently and at a deeper level of concentration and care. My clients get better work and I pour even more joy into it.

While I had the calendar open, I decided to put the rest of my life on par with my work. I scheduled in that yoga class and time for – gasp! – three meals each day. There’s something psychologically charming about having those items marked in. I’m actually doing them.

3. Say no.
This one is almost cliché, right? I mean, I certainly wasn’t saying ‘yes’ to everything… but when I really paid attention, I realized there were lots more ‘no’s to be had. Now I say ‘no’ to projects that don’t excite me. I say ‘no’ to clients who just don’t feel like a fit (they’re lovely but for whatever reason my gut says “not this one” and now I respect that). I say ‘no’ to work on the weekend, except in special cases. I say ‘no’ to work in the evenings. It’s difficult for me to not return a call or an e-mail message right away when I know a client is eager but I cherish the client who respects the work enough to wait.

When I shared these policies with my clients, I was nervous. Would they think I’m too good for hard work? That I was a failure for not being able to stay on top of it all? Would they be annoyed that I wasn’t willing to do whatever it took to service them? But, no, that wasn’t what happened. The world didn’t come to an end. I didn’t lose business. In fact, my clients – because they’re awesome (I love them so much!) – cheered me on. There was enough “Yay, you!” to make me wonder what I’d ever worried about.

As time goes on, I’m sure it will cost me some work that not everything is instant, but I’m happier running a business that’s more like a sumptuously-paced four-course dinner in Paris than a fast food burger to go.

—

Carrie Klassen is a green tea enthusiast, amateur poet, fine point pen aficionado, INFJ Scorpio, and president of Pink Elephant Communications, a writing and design boutique for inspired entrepreneurs. She also teaches workshops at the brand new Pink Elephant Academy for Entrepreneurs (with self-study e-workbooks coming this spring!). Visit www.pinkelephantcommunications.com to download a free copy of 6 Ways to Attract Clients with Kindness.

Happy, Successful Women Living Our Best

March 14, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)


“Modern women have it all. In the past four decades, women have secured better job prospects, greater acknowledgment for achievement, wider influence, more free time, and higher salaries. And yet, recent studies reveal that women have gradually become less happy than they were 40 years ago, and less happy than men – and unlike men, they grow sadder as they get older.”
– Marcus Buckingham, author of Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently”

I’m a big fan of Marcus Buckingham, and not just because he’s handsome and has a fabulous accent! LOL! Rather, because his message inspires, clarifies and empowers individuals learning to spend their time/energy on what they do best, naturally. And as luck would have it, in response to the trends he sited above, his latest work focuses solely on women, inviting us to each play the roles that make us strong.

Do You Know Your Role as a Woman?
Not surprisingly, the women who are happiest are those who know who they are and play to that. But in a day and age where we’re supposed to be all things to all people, sometimes it’s not so easy to know which of all things we’re trying to balance happens to be our sweet spot!

He has identified nine distinct roles we play: Advisor, Caretaker, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Motivator, Pioneer, Teacher & Weaver. And more important than trying to be all of them, the women who are happiest and most successful play to the 1-2 of them that best fits them. Knowing where to focus, in the roles that come naturally, because we are good at them and feel strong in them, gives us the most joy.

Therefore, the question begs to be asked: Do you know your leading and supporting roles? Find out for free in five minutes: Take the Strong Life Test!

Pulling My Friends In
After blogging last year about how our strengths can impact our friendships, I grabbed this book on my way to my Annual Girlfriend Get-Together and roped my girlfriends in! After everyone took the test, we read all the descriptions out loud, from the book, so that we could learn about each other. It was awesome!

For some, we all hooted and hollered at how spot on the description was in specific cases. For others, we paused, looking for stories and evidence to see if we could see the match. As one girlfriend said, “It doesn’t sound like me, and yet, maybe that’s why my life doesn’t feel strong and energizing! Maybe this is the role I should be playing?” Having people who know us well helped us see ourselves, our strengths, and our contributions. It was WAY better than doing it alone!

As friends, we can support each other to serve the world (our spouses, our children, our friends, our jobs) with our best. Our contributions and how we show up will look different based on our strengths and roles.

This is huge. It means that how I decide to structure my company will look different than how one of my friends feels is best for hers. Because we both bring different things to the table and need to develop a team in the way that fits us differently, the goal is to own the need to do it based on your best, not what you think you should be your best. We can have confidence that we will each stand strong in what we have, in our own armor. Living fully.

Because, let me tell you– I do not want the opening quote about us getting sadder as we get older to be said of me or any of my friends. Or you, for that matter! I vote we get happier and more confident as we age! :)

Written by Shasta Nelson, M.Div, CEO of the friends matching web site www.GirlFriendCircles.com and weekly blogger at Shasta’s Friendship Blog.

How To Create the Wedding Day of Your Dreams

March 9, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)


One of the key takeaways from our research and interviews with brides is to plan your wedding with your own authenticity in mind. Wedding trends and traditions are fantastic to reference; however, during the wedding planning process brides can quickly get swept away in the idea of creating the “perfect” wedding and in the end feel stressed as well as overwhelmed.

From what we’ve noted, the best wedding experiences are those that are planned with the bride and groom’s priorities at the center. Family, friends and even some wedding vendors may want to paint a picture for your wedding that fits what they have in mind for a picturesque day, but it’s the bride and groom’s vision of their own personal wedding day that matters.

One of our favorite stories from “Unveiling Weddings” shares this idea. We call it the “Lemon Cake Story”. The bride, Lauren, was in her residency at a prestigious hospital and did not have time to plan her wedding so she let her mom plan the whole thing – huge white dress, tent, large guest list, fancy… everything. Lauren’s mom had been dreaming of her wedding day since she was a little girl. Lauren’s only request was to have a lemon cake and she was totally disappointed when her mother chose a white cake with raspberry filling instead. Here, the bride was able to navigate difficult situations at the hospital every day and she could not even get her favorite cake at her own wedding. A few weeks before her wedding her friends through her a mini shower and surprised her with a lemon cake. We love this story because it demonstrates the complexities of the wedding process. Even the most capable of women struggle to get what they want in the midst of family dynamics.

Typically, an engagement lasts up to 16 months and can create a time for a bride and groom to develop a solid platform for their future marriage. A terrific tip is for the bride and groom to figure out your priorities. Create a list and figure out your top three. For example, your list may include:

a.) stay on budget,

B.) invite as many of my friends and family as I can, and

c.) create a meaningful ceremony.

Post the list on a place where you can see it, and visit when need be (such as when all your single friends assume it’s okay to bring a date to your wedding). Keep these big-picture conceptual priorities at your fingertips will not only keep you on track but will diffuse any stress or anger that gets triggered by the mundane (and the ridiculous!) Remind yourself of the real reasons you are getting married and create the wedding of your dreams.

Rebecca Sacerdoti, PhD and Tasha Jackson Fitzgerald, MA are co-authors of Unveiling Weddings, a book that support today’s bride with emotional and spiritual guidance during her engagement. Filled with entertaining stories, professional insight and tips to demystify this important rite of passage, stories in “Unveiling Weddings” unveil the emotional hurdles, family dramas and personal breakthroughs that are typically hidden from the public eye. It’s a warm-hearted, inspiring and relevant read that will put even the most stressed out bride-to-be at ease. To read a few pages or buy the book, visit www.unveilingweddings.com.

Melody: Why The One-Hat Woman Always Wins

March 8, 2011 by Sarah Clise | Comments (0)


This is a subject I wish I would have understood 20 years ago.  It’s something I certainly wish I could have told my younger business self.  For some reason I thought I had to wear all the hats.  Be the visionary, bookkeeper, HR manager,  general manager, designer, networker, shipping expert, master of inventory, negotiator, signer of contracts,  salesperson,  marketing director,  janitor (well I never really did that, but was in charge that it got done), writer, event coordinator and on and on. Was I a control freak or just STUPID?

When I started the CRAVE company I reinvented my life and decided to do everything the “opposite” way, starting with outsourcing almost EVERYTHING.  I wanted to run my company on my laptop from anywhere in the world so outsourcing was really the only way to go.  I now embrace the fact that I am the crazy entrepreneurial visionary. I need to spend most of my time dreaming up the next move or I won’t have a company to run.  All the other stuff…bookkeeping, marketing, writing, new team members and sales are ALL outsourced.  There are many talented people who do all these things really well, way better than me.  Phew that felt good.

I am excited to announce that I’ve finished my book, CRAVING SUCCESS. Another new experience for me. Over the last 18 months I wrote down the stories of the 20+ businesses I have started, with the mistakes made and lessons learned.   Now, I admit that writing is not my forte.  I can barely speak the English language properly, let alone write in proper grammar. But I couldn’t outsource this one…. or could I? I forced myself to write one chapter a night (around midnight) for awhile then put it away for a few months.  It was weighing on me to finish, so I rounded up some girlfriends and talked them into going on a retreat to a beach house for a few days to focus on getting projects done.  I did finish that weekend, but in reality that was just the start.

My outsourcing began by reaching out to Sally Reavis, who became my writing/editing guru and co-author.  She worked on the manuscript and me for the next 6 months to flesh everything out.  Then came design (which I LOVE and always know what I want), but I couldn’t design myself out of a paperbag.  My good friend and walking buddy, Bridget Perez from Tray Creative, was excited to design the front cover, and I got one of my fabulous CRAVE designers, Alison Turner, to crank out the interior.  My photographer husband pulled all the pictures together and my other designer, Amanda Buzard, turned them into a something cohesive.  I was running out of time with the deadline I’d set, so I called the company that prints our CRAVE books and begged for press time and a really good deal for a full color book. I also asked some smart friends to read the manuscript for use-ability, got the copy editor involved, and (finally!) last week we went to print.

I loved every minute of this project and KNOW it takes a team to pull everything off.  I love to set crazy deadlines and power through to get it done.  The way I figure it…if you don’t have a deadline you will never get it done.  If you don’t outsource the stuff you don’t like or are not that good at…you will never get it done.

What do you need to outsource?

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