While I was in Portland, I had the opportunity to be on the local morning TV show AM Northwest.
I had a great time chatting with the lovely host Helen about the new book! Watch to find out the difference between a setback and a switchback and how to know when to walk away, plus lots more tips for creative entrepreneurs.
And if you’re in Portland and are planning to stop by Powell’s, I signed what they had in stock, so you can pick yourself up an autographed copy of my first and second books.
Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Cass Mullane
During Jennifer Lee’s Right-Brainers in Business Livestream we were given the exercise of “tattooing” something powerful on our bodies. For me it needed to be challenging and important, something I was a little scared to do. So I wrote “Step Into Bigness.” That wasn’t so bad. The other part of that exercise was to take a picture and post it on Instagram. Well that was where the rubber met the road. Once I’d posted the pic, accountability kicked in and I asked myself how was I going to accomplish this “Bigness” thing?
My first step into Bigness: Write a chapter in an upcoming book about my Cool Stuff Jar.
Well, it’s done. The Cool Stuff Jar chapter is final and we’re getting ready to kick off the marketing campaign on July 21st with the print book being released in August at the eWomen Network Annual Conference in Dallas. Woo hoo!!
The process of articulating what’s been a habit for me for a long time was extremely enlightening. All along the way I kept asking myself “Why?” and “What did that do for me?” It was a great exercise to be the client for a while. I delved in deep and really grasped what that simple Cool Stuff Jar had done for me over the long term. The reality is it helped shape who I’ve become: a fun, strong, confident, creative, successful woman.
I knew I’d been playing comfortable and thinking small. True, I have clients in 12 different countries, but my mind monkeys were still swinging around inside my head saying, “You’re doing just fine, why stick your neck out and rock the boat?
But deep down I knew that I was here to do something more. My impact could be so much greater, so I tossed those monkeys a banana and set out to claim my Bigness. I’m still that coach from Colorado, and now I’m intent on having a much bigger impact.
My second step into Bigness: Shoot a series of short videos about the Cool Stuff Jar, mindset and business and make them public.
EEK! That, my friends, is a very scary thing for this introvert. But I did it anyway and I’m taking the bold step of saying… here’s the link to my first Cool Stuff Jar video.
It’s just me being me and I hope it will encourage you to make your own cool Stuff Jar and fill it with the wonderful stuff that makes each of our lives so rich!
My third step into Bigness: Launch a fresh online program, “Cool Stuff Jar”
I’m happy to say that this new program about business skills and mindset is in the final stages and will open up in the fall. Whew! Who knew what that little tattoo exercise would unleash? Thank you Jenn!
So, what are you doing to step into your bigness? Are there things you dream about but shy away from because they scare you? Here’s something to remember: when you do what you’re scared of you shine a light on those fears. And when those fears are exposed to light, suddenly they’re not so scary.
So go out and do something a little scary and step into your Bigness!
Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Ho’omalamalama Brown
If you’ve been keeping up with my articles you might have noticed that I doodle often. In fact doodling has become a productive habit while working through my business. There’s one more thing that I hope you’ve noticed… each blog post leads into the next. What started this journey was a post I did called, “The Life Cycle of an IDEA.” It was simple but extremely helpful to me and possibly even to you. Then I began to expand the targeted areas into their own life cycle’s, while sticking to the pattern.
When I think about dreams I visualize water because there are so many forms in both entities and they never stop evolving. Have you ever met someone who had the same dream as you? Has anyone ever told you, “Your Grandma wanted to do the same thing, did you know that?” Maybe someone created a product like what you had in mind. So let’s simplify the Life Cycle of a Dream.
Cloud = The dream or big idea. This is where fantasy and “what if” thoughts mingle and play in your mind. When I’m in this phase I imagine that I’m financially stable and making more money than I can possibly spend.
Rain = Here’s reality! It can be the sweat off your brow, to make this dream happen, or tears because it feels overwhelming.
Waves = Something has become visible and you feel closer to completion. Perhaps this wave has become bigger than you dreamed and you can ride it all the way to the bank.
Mist = I connect this to the surreal feeling of, “Ahhh… I finally made it.” Your idea, gift, or product is out there in the world.
For some of us it ends after the mist while many of us enter back into the dream to tweak or improve our service. Either way it is a cycle that never ends.
Ho’o
Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Kiala Givehand photo by Jennifer Lee
Do you have a list of ideas that you’re just waiting to implement? New plans for products or services that you think can change people’s lives? So what are you waiting for? Give yourself permission.
If you’re thinking that’s easier said than done, here are three tried and true strategies for empowering yourself and moving closer to living the life you want.
1. Inventory Your Expertise
In one of my many past jobs I was a 7th grade English teacher. It was one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve had — yes, I adored the kids, but mostly, I loved it because I learned something about myself everyday. Kids have a way of doing that — teaching us to know ourselves better. Every year I would get a new crop of fresh minds and I was charged with teaching them to write paragraphs and essays. On the first day of school they would tell me that they didn’t have anything to write about and every year my job was to prove them wrong. “You’re all experts as far as I’m concerned,” I would tell them. Then I’d have them make a list of everything they could talk about or teach me. They would come up with things like babysitting, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dribbling a basketball, riding a bike while carrying a large soda, French braiding their hair, and on and on and on. The point here is that even a child who has only been around for 12 or 13 years is an expert on many topics. And so are you. So give yourself permission to be an expert.
TAKE ACTION: Grab a sheet of paper and number it from 1 to 100, then begin to inventory your expertise. Simply write down all of the things (people, places, ideas, etc) that you could talk about or all of the things you could teach someone. These are the things you have already mastered and I bet many of them are related to your business. Go ahead, give yourself permission.
2. Enter the Conversation
Once you reconnect to the 100 things you already know, it’s time to enter the conversation. As a business coach, I find that many small business owners struggle with finding their voice or their place in a saturated marketplace. They fear being another face in the sea and not standing out. I suggest to them that instead of worrying about being lost in the crowd, that they should simply join in the conversations that are already taking place. Find the thing you are knowledgeable about, find others who are talking about that thing, then jump right in — insert yourself into the larger conversation. Trust me, you’ll not only find that you know a whole lot more than you realized, but that others want to hear what you have to say. Your voice matters, so go ahead and give yourself permission.
3. Begin Again
With words like relaunching, revamping, renovating, and re-branding in our vocabulary, why do we think we need to have it all figured out right out of the gate? Thank goodness that’s not actually true. As creatives, we are often hard on ourselves when it comes to success. On the one hand, we love to try new ideas, but when an idea doesn’t work or we find ourselves heading down a path we didn’t intend, we would rather stay the course than admit failure. Well what if we started to re-frame failure and give ourselves permission to begin again? What could that do to increase the forward movement in our businesses? Try monitoring your outcomes with the knowledge that if it isn’t working, you can adjust or tweak, or just begin again. Go ahead. Give yourself a do-over.
The wonderful thing about these strategies is that they can work for your life and your business. If you practice giving yourself permission, it can become a habit, which can eventually become second nature. You just might be surprised at how easy it can be to say yes to yourself, your new ideas, and your success. Try it today!
Name: Helene Rose
Company Name: Be Brilliant Network LLC
Website: www.bebrilliantnetwork.com
Note from Jenn: Helene Rose has been part of my Cohort Circle for a couple of times now and it’s been such a treat seeing her getting her gifts out there in a bigger way. Helene certainly has a way with words and she inspires women to write their stories.
What is your business and what makes your business unique?
My business is Be Brilliant Network and my purpose is to support women on who are on the path of self-discovery. Through our virtual community “Women Who Write Rock,” women receive writing prompts and audio guided experiences which allow for deep self-awareness, self-expression, and access to the inner voice. Writing is a way to free the soul. To bring into our awareness what needs to be seen, felt, and experienced. To acknowledge our being in the world! We are exploring our inner world. Putting our thoughts, feelings and experiences into words, opens a window from ourselves to ourselves. We see more clearly. We respond to life more authentically. We heal and transform and live our fullest potential as radiant women. We live our brilliance!
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 course has given me the tools to create a strong and grounded foundation in my business. I am clear about who I am serving and how I am serving them. The entrepreneurial ecosystem was particularly helpful in seeing the bigger picture of my business. I’ve been able to create a successful and authentic offering for the world and the support from Jenn and the cohort circle have been invaluable in helping me to do so. I’ve begun to earn an income and women are joining my programs. I’ve appreciated the feedback and encouragement that I’ve received while being a part of the RBBP cohort circle. I absolutely love creating collages as a part of my RBBP and I use these collages as “logos” for my offerings.
What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?
>>> “Women Who Write Rock” pilot program was launched in which 140 women participated. About ten percent of these women signed up for the next round of the program. Because the program has huge impact on the lives of many women, it is now running as a monthly membership. I feel good knowing that women are wanting to join this program and that I can serve them in this way.
>>> “Write Your Life”, a memoir writing mentoring program has also been created. The pilot program of this begins in June.
>>> “Love Poems” was also published.
>>> I’m making progress on collaborating with others and desire to collaborate more with people who have a similar mission.
How do you use your creative intuition in your work?
I use my creative intuition in my work when I’m writing love letters to my followers, writing poetry, or creating a new offering. It’s important to me to have plenty of self-care time and reflective time through dance, yoga, nature, writing and bodywork so that I am able to tap into my creative side, and give to others from a space of fullness. When I am well-tended to, I can better support my clients.
What’s your big vision for your business?
My big vision is for every woman on earth to live her brilliance and to support any woman who is called to the work that i offer.
This is a poem I wrote about the women I serve:
What I Believe About You
*
You are a woman of great strength and courage.
You have the ability to express yourself. It may or may not need prodding. But it’s there.
You have a right to be heard, your voice booming out to the world, for all to witness.
You have a unique story to tell. All women do.
Your presence on the earth is magnificent, and we need you. We need your unique contribution.
Your life is filled with challenge and heartache, but it’s for a purpose. To serve your soul.
Your inner creatrix yearns to be free, to express, to just be, without judgement.
Read more Here >>> http://bebrilliantnetwork.com/our-services/women-who-write-rock-membership/
What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?
Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you. All the other tangible rewards will come as a result.
~Maya Angelou
What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?
If you really have a dream, make it a reality. With focused excitement and commitment we have the ability to create whatever we want.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Through creating my RBBP, I’ve realized that I am my own perfect customer. I have traveled (and am traveling) the road of self-discovery. I am facing my fears, healing and accessing greater brilliance as a result of my own inner work. I believe that every woman has the ability to bring healing to herself. My desire is to see every women on our planet in love with herself. Fully healed. Fully embodied. Living ecstatic and vibrant lives. Writing with the intention of self-discovery is one pathway to creating the lives of our dreams. I’m doing it and so can you.
And a video I would love to share:
Name: Amy Riddle
Company Name: Magick Muse
Website: www.themagickmuse.com
Blog: Blog
Twitter handle: @themagickmuse
Note from Jenn: Amy Riddle participated in our Spring 2014 Right-Brain Business Plan e-Course and below she shares about her creative business and her RBBP. Amy is certainly a “magik” maker and is sure to inspire you.
What is your business and what makes your business unique?
My business is The Magick Muse. I am a life coach, reverend, creatress, teacher, writer, herbalist, and all out muse. To sound fancy and otherworldly, I am a Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams. Transformation can only come from action. As a life coach, that’s where I come in. I co-create transformative action plans that allow folks to really live the life they want. Ultimately, all of my work is about living authentically.
Being true to yourself is the only way to be.
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 have so many ideas and things I want to do for my business, that I was all over the place. Now I have clear intentions and my goals are in order. The creative visuals really helped me. They are like creating a vision board for your business. I love having my Right-Brain Business Plan visuals by my desk so I am always seeing my vision right in font of me.
What goals (big or small) on your business plan have you already accomplished or have made progress on?
I worked on some re-branding and ordered new improved business cards.
I acquired a business coach.
My website is up!
I have joined 2 more social media networks, Twitter and Pinterest.
May 10 was The Magick Muse’s official launch date. I was a vendor and speaker at the Entrepreneurial Spirit Event in Asheville, NC.
How do you use your creative intuition in your work?
Creative intuition is a part of who I am. My special power is to help you gain clarity of your inner world, so you can effect change in your outer world. To be an effective coach, I have to be able to listen intuitively so I really know what the client wants.
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?
I’m a journal junkie, so I weaved all of the parts of my plan into a bright orange journal. It’s small enough that I can carry it with me and keep it at my desk.
What’s your big vision for your business?
The Magick Muse’s big vision is coaching and teaching. I will lead workshops, offer e-courses, retreats, and I am writing a book on living authentically.
What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?
If you really have a dream, make it a reality. With focused excitement and commitment we have the ability to create whatever we want.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you for the Right-Brain Business Plan knowledge and support. There is no turning back. Every single day I ask, “What can I do for my business today?” I listen for the answer and then I proceed with a smile.
Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Cass Mullane
At the end of every day, what do you do? Do you flop into bed exhausted and grumbling about the day? Do you settle in for an hour and a half of mind monkeys swinging around inside your head chattering so loudly that you cannot turn your mind off and get to sleep? Do you toss and turn berating yourself for all the stuff you didn’t do?
How about this instead: Lay yourself down and comfortably drift off to sleep with a smile on your face and a calm peaceful mind. How can you do it? By balancing your To Do’s with Ta Da’s! Here are a couple of tips.
Tip #1: At the end of the day, take a few minutes to be still and to journal about the day.
This is your chance to do a brain dump into your journal and then hit the sack with a clear head. Like the other two tips, your mind will relax more once you get the nagging things, both good and bad, out of your head and onto a journal page where it can be held until you’re done with it. It’s a great place to record what’s bothering you and then to balance it out with what’s awesome about the day.
Tip #2: At the end of the day, take stock of what you DID do during the day. This is a Ta Da! List. Put together a Ta Da! List and drop it in your Cool Stuff Jar.
We tend to forget about what we did during the day because were so busy looking at the next thing on the To Do List or the next hottest fire to put out. A Ta Da! List has so many benefits. For example, once you start making a Ta Da! List, you’ll quickly realize that you really did get a lot of things done over the course of the day. You can also celebrate the Ta Da’s on the list and recognize your hard work by giving yourself a pat on the back.
One side effect of having a Ta Da! List is that you’ll stop saying, “I didn’t get anything done today,” as often. That’s going to be replaced with, “I got a lot done today!” Check in with your body and see which sentence gives you a boost when you say it out loud.
Another thing you’ll notice a sense of accomplishment and that you feel better and more relaxed when you go to bed. And when you’re more relaxed, you get to sleep quicker and experience more sound, restorative sleep.
Tip #3: At the end of the day, make a list of the top three things you need to focus on tomorrow. That’s it, just the top three, then put your pen down and go to sleep.
What this does is relieve your mind from the not-so-productive routine of mentally reviewing all the things that need to be done, without regard to priority. By reducing it to your top three To Do’s, you set the priority and you turn off the habit of spending your precious sleep time thinking about everything that’s still left to be done.
This is the mental equivalent to throwing those mind monkeys a banana! Listing the top three lets your mind relax, and allows you to settle into sleep more quickly. It also sets you up for the next day because when you wake up, you already know what you’re going to be doing. You’ll be more productive because you can go right to work on the priority activities and not waste time on the less than important tasks.
So what will you do at the end of the day today? How about keeping the balance with a little journaling, the three To Dos and a Ta Da! List.
