The weekend of October 10th-13th I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the first ever Emerging Women Live conference in Boulder, CO. It was truly an amazing experience on so many levels. Mostly I was deeply moved by the powerful feminine leadership that was so alive during our time together.

You can get a taste of the event by signing up to watch on-demand recordings of most of the main stage speakers including Alanis Morrisette, Tami Simon, Christine Kane, Sera Beak, Tara Sophia Mohr, and yours truly now through November 13th.

Here I am with the gorgeous and graceful go-getter Emerging Women founder Chantal Pierrat. Chantal’s passion, heart, and embodiment of feminine leadership blows me away. I love that she felt called to bring this community together and took the leap from her VP role at Sounds True to make her vision a reality. And this is just the beginning! She’s got Emerging Women Power Parties springing up across the country and next year’s event is set to take place in New York.

I’m still pinching myself that I got to attend a small, intimate dinner with some of the speakers including the mega-inspiring Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. She is so down-to-earth, wise, and hilarious!

Her keynote gave me the chills with all of the magic and miracles she shared about her creative process and how her new novel The Signature of All Things came to be. I had so many take-aways including to trust those moments of pure inspiration and to take action from that and also to honor your fallow periods because they are a natural part of the creative process.

On Saturday night we got to see the incredibly talented Ani DiFranco in concert. She was so close, we could’ve reached out and touched her! She certainly touched me with her performance. By the time she got to the finale with 32 Flavors I was in tears because it was just so amazing to be in her presence. I remember when I was just embarking on my personal growth journey how I used to play that song over and over again.

I loved getting to connect with Christine Kane who is such a rock star. We had met briefly several years ago at an eWomen Network conference, so it was cool to get to spend some time together during one of the speaker dinners where swapped stories about the enneagram and being sensitive creatives.

I loved her keynote about being the CEO of YOU and hearing her story of how she transitioned from being a musician to becoming a mentor to women. Not only is she super inspiring, but she’s also an extremely savvy business woman.

The interview between singer Alanis Morrisette and Sounds True founder Tami Simon rocked my world, too. I really connected with what Alanis shared about being a sensitive creative. I also really appreciated how she talked about her focus on relationships after having been so focused on ambition and success earlier in her career and her distinction between envy and jealousy. Definitely make sure to watch this juicy conversation. I also really enjoyed how powerful and authentic Tami’s closing keynote was as she connected us to our bodies and the present moment in a grounded and deep way.

The other thing I loved about this conference was getting to hangout with some of my favorite creative cohorts and also meeting new people. I’ve known the fabulous Melody Biringer since back on our Ladies Who Launch leader days. I’m always so impressed by Melody’s vision and ability to bring her ideas to life. She has reinvented herself yet again with her new endeavor Urban Campfire which brings women together to ignite their fire.

It was such a treat to finally meet some of my tribe in person as well! Here I am with Expand Outdoors founder Amy Christensen, Enfuse Jewelry founder Lynsey Morgan, and photographer Rebecca Stumpf (who you may remember from my CreativeLIVE studio audience).

And then RBBP facilitator and Prosper Creatively founder Cass Mullane joined our meet up a bit later. So cool to get to see her in person after all these years!

There is so much more I could say about the Emerging Women Live experience. I’ll leave it here for now and invite you to experience it for yourself by catching the recordings. Enjoy!

Name:  Anna and Katrina Thorsen
Company Name:  By Post Street Apparel, Inc
Website: katthorsen.com

Note from Jenn: Okay, could this mother-daughter team be any cooler?! Not only have they collaborated together in their creative business “by post street,” together they also used their Right-Brain Business Plan® to help them do the legwork that eventually helped them land funding for their venture. I’m so bummed that I missed meeting them when they were in SF last month at an event where they promoted their business but am thrilled that they are sharing an inside peek into their work and RBBP here. Thanks Anna and Kat!!

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

“by post street” is a limited edition unisex apparel and accessories company, founded in January 2013 by Anna and Katarina Thorsen (a mother-daughter team) and features original design by Anna and art by Katarina. The main product- the bamboo t-shirt made of material milled in Canada, is designed, sewn and printed locally in Vancouver, Canada. The company uniquely engages the customer through an online store, international and collaborative interactive art events, street art and social media with a focus on fashion, art, music, global urban culture and portraiture.

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 RBBP demystified the process of creating a business plan and allowed us to create our business from the ground up- from dream, to plan, to formal vision and to action. It encouraged us to celebrate and reinforce our talents and skills and guided us through each step with nonjudgmental language and engaging exercises. It supplied us with confidence and eased anxiety. It made us realize our right brains are an asset and that money is not to be feared but is simply an exchange of energy. It allowed us to create a tight document that received rave reviews from bankers and mentors. We are consequently inspired to stay intimately involved with the business plan and keep it evolving as the business evolves. We are now confident in our vision, talent and our abilities to be both right and left brained in our approaches. Indeed, we now VALUE ourselves!

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

Our initial RBBP was created with zero dollars in our accounts. Before receiving funding, we did art events and scraped together enough funds to create our first two collections. This allowed us to test, trim, focus and identify our mission and vision. We sculpted our RBBP and consulted with mentors, attended seminars, planned collections, mindmapped next steps and clearly outlined our goals. We pre-planned allocation of money and once funding was in place, we were clear on how to execute. We have created promotional videos and completed a successful trip to San Francisco (that included art events, photoshoots, pattern making, networking, street art). We have placed our tees on celebrities and key people traveling the world who share their “by post street” experience on social media. We continue to collaborate with DJs, modeling agencies and venues. We launch our new collections and new website and online store October 2013.

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

As creative souls, we plunged feet first into our dreams and used the RBBP as our wings. All our lives we have been continuously immersed in the creative process through journaling, mindmapping, daily art creation, reading, blogging, sharing and teaching. All this is incorporated into our business. We have a natural predilection for sharing our work and this has organically engaged our customers. Our instinct and desire to share our art for free has found its way into our “by post street” street art, thereby engaging the customer in a unique way, and drawing them into our culture and thereby encouraging the customer to purchase product. We naturally and intuitively document everything and this has proven invaluable to maintaining records and for revamping our RBBP. We allow ourselves to move through the fears, cry as needed, brainstorm freely and fill our workspace with laughter.

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?

We use large foam boards, as well as felt pens for our mindmapping, brainstorming and vision boarding and relish in new stationary supplies and maintaining organization. We keep all the mindmaps and have certain boards visible at all times to stay on target. We are the brand and wear our work. We even tattoo our dreams and desires on our arms and delight in watching the vision unfold. We fine tune together and review and read aloud our notes and type out the formal documents. We are inspired by the background sound of marathon TV and the atmosphere of cafes. We understand the importance of “acting as if” and the importance of feedback, mentors, seminars, asking questions- taking advice but setting boundaries and being true to your passion and clear in your message. We tie our vision and passion in our business to everything else in our lives.

What’s your big vision for your business?

We are expanding to include new product and expanding our international presence at events such as Miami Art Basel and Burning Man. We are increasing our name through street art and collaborations and continue to push the envelope while dancing to the pulse of the street. Our overarching goal is to become an internationally recognized networking hub to form partnerships and collaborations between established artists, deejays and fashion designers. We intend to change the way the human learns through collaborative art, creating online art classrooms with an unrestricted reach and a permanent space for students from around the world to express and share their creations at established art galleries globally.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Witness how much you can do before funds are in place. Embrace mind mapping. Realize your unique qualities. Understand that similar companies are your colleagues. Customers are not just there to buy product but to engage in your brand as they are your ultimate marketing tool. Allow the flow of the creative process. Stay up late and work! Dive in and take smart risks. Identify your core values and revisit lessons learned. Redefine the meaning of failure. Do what you love. Do self-work. Pay attention to the soul and heart of the business and the soul and heart of you.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

The first draft of our right brain business plan was bulky, there was no clear outline for financing and fund allocation, yet the CORE of the business was there. We were turned down at a traditional bank initially, but not having funding in place turned out to be a blessing- we were forced to readdress all aspects of the RBBP and to decide what was working and what wasn’t. This also forced us to “act as if” and to proceed with the business in a more minimal way, allowing us to build our brand and gain attention. We took all the lessons and feedback received from mentors and seminars and stripped the document down to identify the key goal of our business: to sell product. We focused on three company areas: product, branding and operations. Once this was established, all our supporting documentation contributed this central goal. Our mission and vision statements became clear and concise. The resulting “final” version of the business plan was a tight document that received rave reviews. When we attained business loans from Vancity Credit Union and the Canadian Young Business Foundation in August 2013, we simply proceeded to execute the plan laid out in our RBBP. We know that our RBBP is an evolving document – and we evolve with it.

You can also read about their RBBP process on their blog.

To see what we’re up to behind-the-scenes, check out our You Tube videos and follow us on Instagram @bypoststreet.

What is ‘by post street’?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UxGu6tFKVs

The Creation of Karl Collaboration 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hgtnY5TvbY

Ricki Hall Time Lapse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5izkSXq07ck

If you share your expression, you are an artist -by post street

Photo 1 credit: WE Vancouver
Photo 4 credit: Shot In The City

All other photos property of By Post Street Apparel Inc

For more support with developing your RBBP, check out the Right-Brain Business Plan® Home Study e-course happening all the time.

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.

Name:  Patricia Lawless
Company Name:  Lawless Coaching, LLC
Website: www.patricialawless.com
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pslawless
Twitter handle: @pslawless

Note from Jenn: Meet coach, leader, and writer, Patricia Lawless, who is also part of my Right-Brain Entrepreneur Mentorship Program. I love that Patricia shares in her spotlight how she gets her right and left brains to work together to help her grow her business. Plus, she highlights for us the importance of having a Nurture Huddle. Read on to get inspired!

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

As a writer, leader, and certified coach, I help people (especially women) rewrite their life stories and find their happily-ever-after. I work with practical dreamers who have their head in the clouds and feet on the ground. They see a world of possibility but because of “practical realities” can’t see how it could really happen for them. They have a good life, are good at their job, and know how to get things done, but they feel like they’re missing something (“Everyone else would be happy with what I’ve got, so why aren’t I?”).

I guide these practical dreamers to create a realistic action plan that will take them from where they are now to where they *really* want to be. And I help them get out of their own way and move their plan into action, starting today.

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?

I am both right and left-brained. In college, my first major was chemistry and I was also pre-med, but quickly changed my major to English (keeping pre-med), because I got bored studying nothing but science.

I usually start things from my left-brain first (“let’s be logical”). So when I started my business, I turned to a couple of traditional business books. And while I understood what it was the book said, I felt disconnected from what it was I was trying to achieve.

When I discovered the Right-Brain Business Plan, my right-brain creative self found the room to explore and the permission it needed to really feel into what my business means to me. And from there, my left-brain jumped into action (loving all the new business spreadsheets).

In the end, the Right-Brain Business Plan helped my right-brain take the lead, and inspired all of me to embrace my business.

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

One of the best things that has come out of what I learned in the Right-Brain Business Plan is that I am now part of a mastermind group (or “nurture huddle”). This group of women has been integral to my personal and business growth this year, offering me support, accountability, and the occasional kick in the butt when I get complacent.

Also, I am currently working on a new group coaching program I am launching this fall. It will cover everything a practical dreamer could need to take their dream and turn it into their real life.

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

As a coach, I use my intuition as a tool, helping to guide me and my clients into places that my logical brain would never consider. Whatever my intuition is telling me is something my client can use to create something new.

And as a writer, my creative intuition is that unconscious part of me that knows what words to put onto a page. My best writing happens when I trust my creative intuition and let it flow (versus outlining and planning what I need to say). In other words, my right-brain creative intuition is the writer, and my left-brain analytical thinking is the editor.

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?

When I first created my big vision, I pulled pictures from magazines totally based on intuition. When it was done, I stepped back and looked at what I had created and while it felt “right” on the one hand, it also didn’t feel like where I was in that moment. Frankly, it scared me and I let my fears get the best of me, so I put away my Right-Brain Business Plan for almost a year.

Earlier this year I pulled it out again, and I realized that it really was true to me and where I was headed in my business (even though I didn’t feel ready when I created it!). I refined it a bit, adding some words and pictures to the backside of what I had already created. So I learned another lesson in trusting my intuition. Also that my business plan can evolve as I do.

What’s your big vision for your business?

My big vision for my business is to help people (especially women) rewrite their life stories and find their happily ever after. I want to inspire women to ask “why not?” when the world is asking them “why?”. And I want to create a space for people to embrace who they really are and live the possibilities they choose because trying to be like everyone else and deny your differences is a recipe for frustration, anxiety, and chronic boredom. My vision is to bring joy to the world.

My left-brain would also like to add that my big vision includes writing books, leading workshops, and speaking at TED someday (why not?).

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

1. When the doubts and anxieties creep in, take a break. Take a breath. Take a walk. Whatever you do, don’t sit and stew in the negative stuff.
2. Create or join a mastermind group. These are the people who will understand your ups and downs. They’re the ones who will pop the champagne or bring boxes of kleenex, and challenge you when you’re playing safe.
3. Just because “everyone else is doing it this way”, doesn’t mean it’s the right way for you. Find your own right way.
4. Be unapologetically you.

For more support with developing your RBBP, check out the Right-Brain Business Plan® e-Course happening this fall.

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.

The Declaration of You, published by North Light Craft Books and available now, gives readers all the permission they’ve craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You’s BlogLovin’ Tour, which I’m thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more — and join us! — by clicking here.”

I’m super excited to be a part of Michelle and Jessica’s book “Declaration of You” ~ here’s the interview I did with them around their “Success” Chapter. I absolutely adore these creative and inspiring ladies!!!

The Declaration of You: Success with Jennifer Lee! (for zee book) from Pierre François Frédéric on Vimeo.

Leave a comment about what success means to you or 1 thing you learned or came away with from the interview and we’ll be choosing one lucky winner on Wednesday to win a free Declaration of You book!

***Winner announced – Gail, you’ve won! So please get in touch with us at info@artizencoaching.com and we’ll get your book sent out***

Name:  Jackie Blain
Company Name:  Savvy Scribe
Website: www.jackieblain.com

Note from Jenn: The delightful Jackie Blain is a Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course grad and currently part of my Right-Brain Entrepreneur Mentorship Program. I love that as savvy scribe and writing coach Jackie found inspiration in the RBBP even if at first she didn’t consider herself visual or crafty (I’m sure there are some of you who can relate). Let her story inspire you to embrace your own creativity in your business!

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

I’m a writing coach/teacher/tutor, and I specialize in helping writers who are struggling to get a project finished. Everybody who writes gets stuck – heck, I’ve been stuck so many times, and for so many different reasons, that I stopped counting. So I help writers by identifying the problem, and giving them tools and strategies and advice to break through those blocks… and most of all build confidence in their writing abilities so they’re not afraid to take the next steps on their own.

One unique thing I do is work in real time on the internet. Facial expressions, body language, laughter, being able to bounce things off each other as we look at a project – those are my real teaching tools. And the internet now lets me connect with writers wherever they are, whenever it works for them, so they can get things done.

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

Creative intuition is not simply an idea for me. It’s a fact, a way of living and working. I call it “trusting the Universe,” and when I ignore it, I usually get in trouble. As a teacher, intuition is an absolute essential. It’s how I know without the person saying anything when a concept is clear or fuzzy, or when they’re engaged or bored or upset, and what I need try next in order to solve the problems. That’s why I work face-to-face with writers – watching their body language is crucial because it allows my creative (teacher’s) intuition to kick into gear and change tactics so I can provide the best tools and strategies for that individual. It’s also more fun, and my creative intuition thrives on fun.

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?

The non-visual-artist, non-crafty writer in me got very nervous about doing a RBBP, until I remembered that I think in pictures. Movies, really. But pictures nonetheless. I also remembered that I used to do collages back in the day. So I got the RBBP Kit, followed the directions for doing the fold-up book, and created something very straightforward, but something that I love. It’s kind of a mish-mash of images, quotes, bits from the RBBP Kit, Jill Badonsky’s muses, and a couple of family photos. Best of all, it lets me pretend I am indeed a visual artist!

Illustration by Taylor Schwartz

What’s your big vision for your business?

My big vision is actually pretty simple. I’m not looking to create a dynasty, or a business that I can sell to somebody else, or that has real employees. My whack-a-doodle “career” has been full of twists and turns, and hard-won knowledge – one of my students calls it “eduexperience.” And my big vision is to put all of that to the service of other writers who struggle with the same kinds of blocks and bumps and bruises, to help them remember why writing matters to them and to the world, and to restore their confidence in their own creativity.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Ask for help! I’m an introvert and have always balked at the idea of asking anybody for anything. But as a writer, I know nothing gets done without the input of friendly critics. So when my Creative Cohort– and Jenn and the RBBP – started pushing me to ask, I gulped, invoked the intention behind my Big Vision, and asked. Help started to materialize from places both expected and, most fun of all, unexpected. Of course, the other important part is saying ‘thank you’ and being willing to return the ‘yes’ when asked, but you have to ask first.

Illustrations by Taylor Schwartz

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Along those same lines, I have a big fat “Thank you” to Jenn and the Right-Brain Business Plan. I went from struggling to believing, from thinking I wasn’t creative to “hell, yeah, I am!” I now have plans and goals and hope for the future, and it wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

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.

For more support with developing your RBBP, check out the Right-Brain Business Plan® Home Study program.

Name:  Vanessa Sage
Company Name:  Sage Life Consulting
Website: www.sagelifeconsulting.net
Blog: http://sagelifeconsulting.com/category/blog/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/SageLifeConsulting
Twitter handle: @VanessaSageLife

Note from Jenn: Vanessa Sage is a Cohort in my current mentorship program and I’m excited to help her grow her creative business. I know you’ll enjoy getting to hear more about how Vanessa helps heart-centered entrepreneurs, creative dreams, and spirit seekers find magic in their every day!

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

I lead online journeys and pilgrimages for heart-centered entrepreneurs, creative dreamers, and spirit seekers to experience stillness, poetry, and compassion in their lives. I guide women to explore the places where they are, and inspire them to find the magic in their everyday. Starting from listening to their deepest heart’s calling, my work aims to create safe spaces for women where they are truly heard and emerge empowered knowing that they are the vulnerable and courageous great warriors of their lives!

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

My entire business has been led and developed based on intuition. I knew that if I waited to have all the answers I wouldn’t start so I choose to grow and change publicly. Much of my intuition comes through writing. Writing and poetry are my spiritual practices and I trust myself most when I am writing. I talk about my heart a lot (or my “Soul Song,” which comes out of my latest program) because my heart is where all of my inner-honesty lives. I tend to be a cliff jumper and I jump based on an calling I just “know” to be right for me even if I have no idea what will happen next.

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 plan is a combination of words and images. Creatively, I think in both and I allowed lots of space for the words and the images to breathe. The images cames out of Jenn’s first visioning exercise where we saw ourselves in five years. I was surrounded by green, walking, and the words, “she sits and writes with flowers” became the basis for many of the images. I like having a big board I can look up at because I have a tendency to put away smaller things. I also created a digital banner that I use on my Facebook profiles because I’m on FB all the time and seeing it connects me to my plan in a very tangible way multiple times a day.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Trust yourself.

Allow yourself to grow and be seen growing.

Know that it takes time (longer than you probably thought) to create a thriving business. As my partner likes to say, “it is a marathon not a race.”

It’s not always comfortable but it is so worth it to follow your passions and your dreams!

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

My next program, “Your Soul’s Song” starts July 1st and the details can be found here: http://sagelifeconsulting.com/soulsong/

I’d love to get to know you!

Creative Resources

Click here  for more information about Vanessa Sage.

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.

For more support with developing your RBBP, check out the Right-Brain Business Plan® Home Study program.

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