Guest post by by Lisa Dolce, Right-Brain Business Plan® Licensed Facilitator,

3 Hidden Superpowers of Introverts in Business

Has anyone else noticed the buzzword “FIERCE” being used in marketing geared towards women these days?

Recently, these headlines landed in my inbox: “5 Ways to be a Fierce Entrepreneur,” “You must be fierce and fabulous to be in the business game,” and my personal favorite, “You have to be fierce to slay your clients.”

To an introverted entrepreneur (which is a badge I wear proudly), these calls to fierceness make it sound like if you don’t have a personality that roars, you cannot be successful.  If you are not an alpha-extrovert, “I love the spotlight kind of gal” then you don’t fit in.  This doesn’t exactly inspire confidence to go strike out into the world of business, does it?

This is why many quiet types of personalities fear starting their own businesses—they just don’t feel like they have the chops to make it in this extra extroverted world.

And sadly, they don’t go after a life-long dream.

So when you feel overwhelmed by the loud roar of the extroverts, here are a few ways you can use your natural strengths to be a wildly successful entrepreneur:

1. Superb listening skills to assess customer’s needs. Introverts listen first, and then speak. Being the person who says the least in a meeting is OK—(contrary to what we have been taught in school about not raising our hands enough). We sit back and listen instead of talking over people or trying to be the loudest heard. When introverts do contribute, it is meaningful to the conversation and impactful — and customers LOVE this.

2. Developing DEEP relationships for happy, loyal customers. A successful business is relationship driven. Introverts have an innate gift for developing deep relationships and this is a true BUSINESS ASSET. One or two real connections to nurture are better than a pile of business cards gathering dust on your desk. Making fewer, deeper relationships actually yields more satisfied and loyal customers.

3. Creativity and Empowerment. Introverted leaders tend to create and lead businesses from a very focused place. Their love of solitude and uninterrupted time has led to some of the most creative and innovative sustainable businesses–think Bill Gates and JK Rowling. And since they prefer to stay out of the spotlight and not promote their own greatness, they tend to inspire instead of intimidate–think Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks. All these are innate gifts that introverts can tap into to be successful business leaders.

So remember, just because we introverts prefer listening to speaking, innovation and creation to self-promotion, does not mean there isn’t a place at the entrepreneurship table for us.  There is a spot – and it is at the head of that table!  

Go forth and start that business — get your quiet roar on with depth and meaning. In the words of Mahatma Ghandi (who was, by the way, an introvert) “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”… and the world really needs you right now, more than ever.

Lisa Dolce is a Small Business Coach, Start-Up Mentor and Licensed Facilitator of the Right Brain Business Plan ®. She helps heart-centered entrepreneurs bring together their brilliant ideas and beautiful gifts and talents to design, launch and grow their own profitable business.

At the end of June 2006, I said farewell to my decade long journey in Corporate America. I walked out the doors of Gap Inc. on Folsom Street in San Francisco and never looked back. This was pre-iPhone, otherwise you know I would’ve taken a selfie to commemorate the moment! 😉

Of course venturing into the unknown scared the bejeezus outta me, but I knew that I had to follow my heart.

Now, another 10 years later, I’m grateful for all that’s transpired since I took the leap!

Just for fun, you might get a big kick out of reading this fake future press release I drafted up right after leaving my corporate job.(BTW, it’s such a powerful exercise in articulating your dreams – I highly recommend doing it yourself!)

While not everything came true exactly as I wrote it, I’d say that some things are close enough or the essence of those visions have manifested in some form or another.

TODAY only to celebrate my 10-year solopreneur-versary, I’m hosting a sale on my Unfolding Your LifeVision® licensing program and YOU can save 40% on this fun, done-for-you program. This is the lowest price you’ll get on this comprehensive system.

Hold inspiring life vision workshops based on one of my bestselling creative works without spending a fortune or spinning your wheels! I’ve taken out all of the guess work for you and share my best secrets, so you can focus on teaching inspiring and profitable workshops now.

Not only do you get rights to lead my Unfolding Your Life Vision® Workshop but you also get rights to lead my inspiring Dream Box Workshop as well!

Plus, for this special occasion I’ve added in the never-before-offered Exploding Box Year-in-Review workshop guide. If you’re not sure what an exploding box is… here’s a quick video of my box from my 2015 reflection process.

That means you get not 2, BUT 3 workshop guides for the price of 1, on sale to boot.

Save a whopping 40% now through 9pm PT, TONIGHT, June 28th by entering the code: CELEBRATE at checkout. The discount cannot be applied to previous purchases.

Guest post by by Cass Mullane, Accountability Coach, Right-Brain Business Plan® Licensed Facilitator, Prosper Creatively, LLC

We’re all superheroes.

That’s right, we all have superpowers and whether we’re aware of it or not, we know how to use them. But do you want to know the quickest way to squelch your superpowers? By not using them!

When you are a talented graphic artist and you spend day after day, week after week trying to figure out how to run your client management system all by yourself, you’re playing with kryptonite. Rather than hiring someone who knows the system, you’re burying your superpower. And when you bury your superpower, you lose your ability to fully tap into it when you need it. Hire someone who knows the system and loves doing that sort of work and get back to what you love best… stellar graphic design.

Some people pride themselves in claiming that they do everything all by themselves. That’s great, but are you doing everything well? I’ll bet you’re not. There is no badge of honor for getting all the day to day stuff done while your business goes nowhere. There are things you’re really good at and things you’re not so good at. Your tasks may be done-ish, but at what cost? Are the client billables piling up? Are you looking at a long list of customer follow up calls that you cannot seem to get to? Have you reviewed and updated your business plan? Is other work piling up? Are you enjoying time for play and for self-care? Are you able to sleep well at night?

Superwoman doesn’t do windows.

Superwoman focuses on what she excels at. She takes on the tasks that only she can do. She knows where her weaknesses are and she doesn’t do work that can be done better by someone else. In essence, she outsources the operational left-brained work with clear expectations and objectives. The creative right-brain work she does by herself and with her team of creative cohorts.

Now, I can already hear the objections: “I can’t afford it.” “I can do it quicker myself.” Stop it! Sure it costs money, but paying someone a few dollars while your time is freed up to go out and earn hundreds or thousands is a no brainer. Maybe you can do it quicker, but is it an income generating activity? Why not pay someone to do tasks that are not your strength and focus your time and energy and creativity on tasks that no one else but you can do.

So here’s a way to offload the things that are burying your superpowers:
1. Identify what will move your business forward that only you can do
2. Identify the things that are not your strength that need to be done
3. Start moving that work off your plate onto the plate of someone who enjoys that work. (In other words, tap into their superpower!)
4. Fill your newly reclaimed available time with revenue generating work
5. Keep reviewing the list regularly to make sure you’re maximizing your time and your creative energy.

The bottom line: Unless you’re in the business of washing windows, take window washing off your list!

Cass Mullane is an artist with an MBA. Cass’ calm, comfortable approach consistently yields positive results for clients. Her business and personal coaching practice, www.ProsperCreatively.com, specializes in delivering solid left brain business skills to right brainers and creatives in a fun, visual way. She’s a best selling author, textile and mixed media artist and creator of the Cool Stuff Jar™ coaching program. You can also visit Cass on Facebook!

Listen to my interview with Bari here

Money can be a touchy subject, especially for creatives and right-brainers. That’s why I’m so excited that my creative cohort Bari Tessler just launched her wonderful book The Art of Money. Bari has a gift for helping you dive deeply into your past, current, and future relationship with money in a conscious and compassionate way.

When I finished reading an advanced copy, I wrote to Bari to let her know that her stories and personal journey actually moved me to tears (in a good way!) because she gets to the heart of so many money issues.

Interview Highlights

Here are some of the highlights from our audio interview (you can listen in the player above):

• Why it’s so important to address the right-brain emotional and spiritual aspects of money along with the left-brain details.
• How to incorporate money self-care practices into your day-to-day life and why creative entrepreneurs especially need to make time for money dates.
• One of my favorite parts of our discussion and her book… honestly looking at the financial ebbs and flows that come throughout various transitions in your life. I see so many folks get fixated on a number without taking into account what works for their business or their life. I love how Bari models consciously shifting expectations and actions.
• How Money Maps can help you make decisions aligned with what’s important to you.
• Allowing yourself to be in the inquiry of challenging money questions – when there is no right or obvious answer.

Bari will be touring the Bay Area in July (hope to see you at one of the events!) and Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, and more this summer. You can see her book tour schedule here.

This book is sure to help you make better friends with your moola! Enjoy!

“Sometimes you have to burn down the barn to see the moon.”  Zen Quote

Guest post by by Lisa Dolce, Right-Brain Business Plan® Licensed Facilitator,

I am a gal that always has a plan. For years, it was a boring spreadsheet with daily to-dos that outlined what I needed to accomplish in business and in life. My ability to map out next steps and check off little boxes made me feel really productive most days.

But then I realized productivity is NOT the same thing as inspiration. Eventually I came to a point in my life where the grand vision and plan no longer excited me. Even worse, the more I followed it, the more frustrated and stuck I became. I began to dread coming into the office, waking up and thinking, “I can’t do this another day!”

Until the universe intervened…

One day my well-planned life came to a crashing halt. The one-two punch of a death in the family and a serious health issue forced me out of my routine and caused me to search for a better way. What I learned is that the experiences that challenge us the most can also reveal our greatest gifts—and a new and expanded vision that is more aligned to who we want to become instead of who we have been.

If you are stuck, you don’t have to wait for a life-altering crisis to break free from plans that keep you there. Here’s how I overhauled my mindset and found the clarity to create a new big vision for my business and my life—one that keeps me inspired and growing daily.

1. I took a sacred pause. It was clear that the old ways of doing things were no longer working for me. By keeping myself so busy, I had no space and time for anything new to emerge.  So, for the first time in 20 years, I “off- ramped” and took a sabbatical. I delegated work duties, I asked for help around the house, and I wrote the word NO across my calendar for a month. (Yes, a month!)

2. I got my creative on. One of the things I stopped doing while being so busy running my business was doing art projects with my little girl. Now that I had more time, we pulled out the paint brushes and the pottery clay and just created. Switching into more right-brained activities inspired some really cool ideas and excitement I hadn’t felt in a long time. All of a sudden, my tired brain came alive.

3. I trusted my intuition and tuned into my inner wise self.  She always knows what to do, and when I listen to her she reveals the most meaningful next steps. I gave myself quiet space by meditating, walking in nature, and journaling.  Clarity began to flow in, illuminating a beautiful path that led me to creating a new, more meaningful vision for my business.

4. I told perfectionism to take a back seat on this new plan. That meant letting go of my desire to develop the perfect product or service and allow opportunities to unfold naturally. This was THE HARDEST PART for a control freak like me to do, but I quickly realized that when things happen organically, the end result is even better than I could have imagined.

5. I embraced a new mindset: business is all a big beta-test! I began looking at my business as a playground; a place to experiment using my gifts and talents to help others. Reframing HOW I did things was the GAME CHANGER; I got un-stuck when I took action even though the path was not totally clear. When your plans are flexible, your business can grow with you!

Most importantly, I realized that making small changes have BIG effects. Now I have a vision that I feel more connected to in this phase of my life. The old spreadsheets are gone and are replaced with this big bold beautiful vision that inspires and excites me every day.

What does your big vision look like? Share a description or link to a photo in the comments!

Lisa Dolce is a Small Business Coach, Start-Up Mentor and Licensed Facilitator of the Right Brain Business Plan ®. She helps heart-centered entrepreneurs bring together their brilliant ideas and beautiful gifts and talents to design, launch and grow their own profitable business.

Name: Barbara Boyd
Company Name: Barbara Boyd: writer
Website: www.barbarajboyd.com

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

As a development editor, I help authors transform their ideas from spark to printed page. I take on clients directly and work through a publisher. Helping authors bring their books to life is often as rewarding for me as for them.

As a blogger and author, my goal is to entertain and inspire readers to find the magic in the mundane. I’ve transitioned from writing how-to books about technology to writing about topics that are closer to my heart: my life in Italy as an olive farmer, hobby beekeeper, yogini, and meditator. On my blog, I share tips about cooking and farming along with observations about life. The memoir I’m writing recounts my story of finding home and my place in the world during a two year period of building a house in southern Italy.

My superpower: organization. I can see how pieces fit together to form the big picture.

How has the Right-Brain Business Plan® helped you? What is different for you and your business after approaching planning in a creative, visual way?

The Right-Brain Business Plan helped me think of myself as a business rather than simply an author looking for the next writing gig. It provided the motivation and accountability to take the time to think about what I had to offer and how I wanted to bring it into the world. Week by week, the RBBP exercises guided me to identify my values and understand how they apply to what I do, brought focus to my business, and helped me create specific goals. Before RBBP, my goals and plans were mental and ephemeral, whereas tapping into the visual part of my brain helped clarify the why, for whom, how, and when and put it into physical form. As a writer, any ideas and plans I had jotted down were word-based; having a visual image to refer to provides an instant reminder and checkpoint of what I want to offer.

What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?

The RBBP helped me understand the importance of not trying to do everything on my own and a medium-sized goal was to look for help. I invested in an online memoir writing workshop to begin a writing project that had been dawdling in a desk drawer, and when the writing workshop ended I decided to continue working with the book coach/editor so that I can finish the rough draft by the end of December 2016.

I created a public Facebook page for my writing. I’m making progress on my social media presence and am starting to be more public about my ongoing work, whereas before RBBP I was tight-lipped until I had a finished product.

I’ve developed an editorial calendar for my blog for the second half of 2016 so I don’t have to come up with ideas every month.

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

A lot of my work is about listening and observing. When working with clients, I use my creative intuition to hear the things they aren’t saying, to listen to the subtext, and then ask them about what I’ve intuited. Difficult questions asked with a soft tone can usually get them to open up and dig deeper, which always makes for a better story.

As an author, I have to write whether I’m inspired that day or not. Before I begin to write, I stop for a moment, take a deep breath, listen, then begin.

Is there anything you’d like to share about your Right-Brain Business Plan® in terms of what it’s made out of or how you made it?

My Right-Brain Business Plan is the classic RBBP accordion book that I made from poster board and then pasted the images that I’d collected to make a vision board. While I did the exercises each week, I didn’t make the vision board when it was assigned at the beginning of the course but toward the end and that worked out well for me because my ideas were clearer. I chose images and words that spoke to me and loved how the board came together organically. It follows a sequence that I’d like my business to follow: it begins with the book I’m writing, flows to the topics I write about and the ideal reader, and ends with a future, big vision component: hosting a writer’s retreat on my farm.

What’s your big vision for your business?

My big vision is to host writer retreats on my farm in Italy where ‘ve found inspiration and a tranquil workspace and would like to share it with other writers and artists for short, organized group retreats or longer, individual sojourns.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Take the time in the beginning to think about your values, goals, your ideal customer, and what you can offer and go forward with clarity.

There’s a lot of talk about starting, not procrastinating, not getting hung up on perfection and I agree, however, some ideas need to percolate or mature before they’re ready to be launched and that’s okay.

Find a like-minded cohort or community to share your ideas, fears, successes, and doubts. The more you share your work and progress, the more it becomes real.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.” Simon Sinek

Want to create your own Right-Brain Business Plan®? The Right-Brain Business Plan® Kit includes supplies to make your own accordion book style visual business plan.