Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Cass Mullane

If you’re like me, you’re probably starting to get that feeling that you need to grow a few more arms to juggle all the balls that you have in the air. There are the clients, the workshops the webinars, the studio, the shows to organize and hang, the art to make, the ¬book to finish writing, the classes to teach, the products to develop, the speaking to do, and on and on. Oh, and now we need to figure in the added balls of The Holidays… Yikes!

So, here are two tips for ousting the overwhelm and welcoming the warmth of the season.

1.You are hereby given permission to say “No, thank you” and to feel good about it! Be choosy about what you say ‘yes’ to. Whether it’s a request to speak or to donate art for a benefit or to put together an event, be choosy about what you say ‘yes’ to. I’ll bet you and your cohorts already have quite a mountain of things to do and you probably do not need to add one more thing to your list. Instead, think about what’s really most important for you to do in the next several weeks and focus on getting those things done. You’ll do yourself a huge favor by fairly assessing what you know must be done versus what everyone may want you to do instead. While it would be nice to have little elves that come in and do our work for us so we can take on all the other stuff, the reality is the important things are not going to get done until we do them. So why leave them hanging around? Remember that taking on extra things adds to your sense of overwhelm, and that means you’re not functioning at your very best. Saying ‘no, thank you’ to things that don’t make sense allows you to relax a bit and to be more fully present for yourself and for everyone else.

2. You are hereby given permission to practice quality self-care and to feel good about it! It almost goes without saying that we all need to ensure that we work in a little extra time for self-care in the coming weeks. We naturally fall into that mindset of taking care of everyone else at our expense. But that’s not healthy! Taking a little time away from the craziness to take care of yourself is healthy. Schedule that massage, read that book, take that walk, doodle, do a puzzle, do yoga, pay attention to what you’re fueling yourself with, pat yourself on the back for the great things you’ve done and continue to make smart choices (this all goes for me too!). Doing this will allow you to relax, recharge and reframe.

When you let yourself say no to the superfluous and when you give yourself some special attention and care, you really amp up your ability both to handle any challenges that may crop up and to fully enjoy all the fun of the holidays.

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Cass Mullane’s 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 the author of Cool Stuff Jar which is slated for publication in Spring 2014. You can also visit Cass on Facebook. Cass is one of our licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitators.”

Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Amy Egenberger

Sailors watch the wind. It’s invisible, of course, so they watch the water. By seeing the ripples, feeling their skin, listening to the air, the unseen is made apparent.

Isn’t it the same when sailing your creative business?

We need to see the unseen by looking for its effects.

Hidden factors, winds of change and currents of opportunity influence our business choices. And learning to read the signs helps us tell the tale of where our business is in relation to where we are going.

In the nautical sense, telltales are those brightly colored lengths of yarn or ribbon attached to the sails of a sailboat. Simple, really. They lift and flutter, or flap and fly according to what the air is doing. Showing you the wind direction relative to the boat’s motion, these little ribbons tell a lot about how to trim your sails.

How do you tell the current conditions surrounding your business? Where is the energy headed? What adjustments do you need to make to stay on course?

For instance, I noticed a change in my biz breezes last summer. About to close down the Artist’s Way Meetup I’d started two years prior, I was ready to throw in the towel due to a trend of low attendance. Instead, I scheduled one more meeting with the topic “creative expansion.” Six people came. So, the next month we met again. Gradually, more and more attended each month, and 24 will be there tonight, with several on the waitlist!

What’s the tale I tell from that? That there truly is a desire for conversation about creativity that’s real and accessible, and what I offer can align with that flow.

Like the ol’ proverb goes, “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”

Other telltale signs reveal what has value. Like a mouse that leaves droppings on a kitchen counter, recent business activity leaves signs of what was good eating. What are you customers consuming? What do they like? Where do visitors click on your site? What does this tell you about which goodies they are after?

At a recent talk I gave about the Right-Brain Business Plan®, one woman bubbled over with insight and determination to seek strategic partnership for her music business. Ready to make the two phone calls she’d been putting off for months, she ask her tablemates for an accountability buddy. Not only did one of her cohorts jump at the chance to be her buddy, she gave the name of a contact person. Connection! That tale tells me what new business owners value and want more of: accountability and support to get into action!

So, the lessons from boat sails and mouse trails?

1. The trail that your customers leave can reveal what they are going for.
What do they value and how do you provide more of that?

2. Seeing signs of current conditions helps you make adjustments to stay the course.
What’s needed to head toward your vision?

You tell the tale of your next biz move!

Making way for creative action, Amy Egenberger, MEd., CPCC, is proud to be a Licensed Facilitator of the Right Brain Business Plan®. She is a seasoned educator, life coach, artist and founder of Spirit Out! Coaching. Amy helps people find the courage and clarity to get moving on their creative path. A book, a business, a project, a change… your creative spirit gets out! Amy is one of our licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitators.

Join Amy starting Nov 20, 2013 for
fun & focus to make your biz plan real.
Right-Brain Business Plan® Workshop
series in Minneapolis.
http://spiritout.com/classes/rbbp

Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Laura Burns

Working from home is the stuff of many people’s fantasies, some people’s nightmares, and an increasing number of people’s realities. Often misunderstood, working from home can be a challenging and confusing way to spend your work life. Here are 5 tips I’ve learned the hard way – they can help you make working from home productive, peaceful, and fun.

1. Create the perfect space

Some people need bright airy spaces to feel focused and happy, and others prefer darker cozy feeling rooms with task lighting and drawn shades. One of the most important things you can do for yourself as a home worker is to create the perfect space for you. Whether you have a whole room to yourself or just a corner, there are lots of small changes you can make that will help you feel comfortable, professional, and on the ball.

Once you get your work space set up and feeling groovy, be sure to keep it neat and organized. I like to set pop-up calendar reminders for short cleaning breaks. They give me the opportunity to stretch my legs and keep my space feeling open and clean.

2. Decide on a schedule

What kind of office hours are you keeping? 9am to 5pm? 11am to 7pm? Or even 9pm to 5am? No matter what your preferred office hours are, making a habit of being at your desk and available during those times builds your reputation as a professional. If you’re not a desk-worker, keeping a schedule can still lend an air of legitimacy to your work that both you and the public will feel. Also important is that you stop working when you’re scheduled work time is through. It can be very tempting to keep working well past your quitting time, but that’s a great way to get burned out. In most cases whatever you’re working on can wait until the next day. Walking away from your work for the day gives you time to socialize and bond with your family.

3. Get dressed

It’s a simple idea, but in practice it can be difficult to create the habit of dressing in real clothes every day. Some people may do fine wearing pajamas all day, but I start feeling depressed and unprofessional after a day or so of not getting fully dressed. I feel more motivated when I’ve showered and dressed – even if I’m not seeing clients that day I’ll feel fresh and focused.

4. Don’t be a hermit

Build social interaction with humans into your work week. All too often people who work from home find themselves isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. If you find yourself a little too excited to see the FedEx man, it’s time to get out of your house. Try to have lunch once or twice a week with colleagues, networking contacts, or friends—outside of your home.

5. Build in self-care

Even small moments of self-care can make a big difference. Don’t forget to relax and do something nice for yourself every day. Whether it’s a walk around the block, a special afternoon coffee drink, or some aromatherapy while you work – these comforts help make your work life feel more relaxed. If you struggle with making time for yourself throughout the day, try setting pop-up calendar alerts to prompt you to step away and take care of yourself.

I help heart-forward businesses create thoughtfully crafted plans for growth and sustainability. I love to inspire people to think critically, dream big, and clear out the cobwebs to let in the light and the joy! Wanna leave your soul-crushing job to start your own business? Check out my new book, Work Life Revolution! Laura Burns is one of our licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitators.

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!

Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Cass Mullane

I have really thrived with my mastermind groups. One I’ve been a member of since receiving my MBA in 1990. The second I joined when I moved back home to Colorado in 2004 and the third formed in 2012 and is comprised of artists who are also businesswomen. The three groups have very different purposes, very different vibes and function very differently.

The first is a wonderful group of high level professionals working in generally high pressure, high responsibility positions located both inside and outside the U.S. This group has had basically the same seven core members for nearly 25 years. It is comprised of men and women, mostly in their 50s with the men having the majority. We’ve seen marriages, divorces, births, deaths, job changes and lots of interesting business challenges. Each month we meet online with a very specific agenda that consists of a quick check in for accountability, then one of us is in the hot seat for the month, then we close with each of us identifying specific activities we’ll be accountable for during the coming month and identifying who will be in the hot seat next month.

The second group was started locally to support women in business here in Colorado Springs. The members were in different industries and were randomly placed in the group. Initially there was a specific topic we’d each work on during the month, like follow up, time management or social media. It was a very different style of mastermind, much more informal, and our goal was to hold each other accountable for completing the monthly task. This group restructured within about six months and individuals started setting their own tasks, again with accountability being the focus. A core group of four still remains, and, coincidentally, we are all artists. We do not meet as regularly anymore, but we continue to share a tight bond.

The third mastermind group was formed very intentionally and is specifically comprised of artists who are also businesswomen. We each have our own businesses, some specifically art related, others not in the arts industry, like my entrepreneur coaching practice for right brainers. We all bring specific skill sets to the group, like retail experience, teaching, strategic planning, organization, systems design, budgeting, business management and technical expertise. Our purpose is to grow our businesses and to help each other grow their businesses.
Here are some of the benefits of being part of a well-functioning mastermind group:

• You are constantly challenged
• You are in the presence of some wonderfully creative thinkers who have perspectives that you may not
• You are pushed to do what you say you are going to do
• Everyone gives equally and receives equally
• Feedback is immediate
• Collaboration is the norm
• Support is fantastic

Of course it is critical to select a mastermind with a good mix of personalities and skill sets and one in which you’ll feel comfortable participating and receiving feedback. You must meet regularly with a consistent format and the group should be relatively small. Stay away from a group with egos and agendas as they are most likely not going to support you and your needs. Also make sure you get in a group with members who are different from you as you’ll benefit from their unique perspectives and experiences.

Be sure the group members are dedicated to making the mastermind a success. I’ve been very fortunate to be surrounded by people who are self-motivated and who have taken responsibility for participating in each other’s growth and success. You will find that some mastermind groups charge a fee to participate. This is intended to have you put some skin in the game and you’re more likely to show up and contribute to the group. It also is a way to ensure some exclusivity with certain groups with a narrower focus, like CEOs and industry leaders. Be sure to ask for a few trial visits before you commit to a group to make sure it’s a fit.

So go out and find a good mastermind group to push you, challenge you and to celebrate with you. It’s really worth it!

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Cass Mullane’s 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 the author of Cool Stuff Jar which is slated for publication in Spring 2014. You can also visit Cass on Facebook. Cass is one of our licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitators.”

Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitator Laura Burns

Fall is finally beginning to make an appearance here in Texas, and I’m thrilled to start seeing and feeling the changes that come this time of year. Cooler temperatures, changing flora, and a renewed desire to snuggle up inside and nest are my favorite parts of the fall transition. I love back to school excitement, crisp air, and falling leaves. Even more, I love taking advantage of this natural transitional time to take a little inventory of my life so I can figure out if there are changes that need to be made before I curl up inside my cozy house for the winter. It’s much easier for me to relax and enjoy the hibernation aspect of fall and winter if I’ve cleared out any baggage, both emotionally and physically. Fall inventory time is a great way to take a look at what’s working for you, what’s not, and what could – if you just tweak it a little.

To start I like to spend some time thinking about my relationships, all the various types in my life. I try not to limit myself to just my romantic relationship – I include my friends, family, and work connections. I aside some time and ask myself the following: What relationships are enriching my life right now? Which ones are draining me and contributing to negativity in my life? I’m often surprised when I examine my relationships and realize that one or more has become a source of anxiety or stress. Sometimes those relationships are worth saving, and sometimes they’re not. Only you’ll be able to answer that question, but without an inventory it’s possible that you won’t even realize that you need to ask yourself the question in the first place.

While you’re taking the inventory, focus on the beliefs and behaviors most prevalent in your life. Are these still serving you well? Often our beliefs and behaviors change over time and we don’t realize how drastic this change is. Sometimes it’s a positive change and sometimes it’s not, but examining them is the best way to begin to decide if we want to make changes or not.

The last part of the inventory I love to include is about clutter – emotional and physical clutter. I find myself accumulating both kinds of clutter each year, and this inventory is a great way to dig through it all and figure out what’s serving you and what’s not. This month I’ve undertaken a semi-intense clutter cleanout in my house. It feels good to get rid of furniture, books, and clothes I don’t use or wear. Those things start to feel like weights around me, and the space I create by getting rid of them adds to a relaxing and peaceful home life. If the idea of removing the clutter from your home is overwhelming, try setting a time for 10 minutes. You can do anything for just 10 minutes. After the time is up you can choose to keep going or stop – it’s up to you and how ‘in the zone’ you get. Try doing 10 minutes a few times a week to start seeing some results!

After you’ve taken your inventory, it’s time to make some changes. Figure out what exactly you’d like to change and make an action plan. Figure out if there are people, jobs, beliefs, behaviors, and clutter you want to change and/or let go of. Whether big or small, change is good! Without change we become stagnant and dull. No matter how small your changes may be, they’re helping you to get to the next great part of your life. However, it’s important to recognize that making changes in your life can be more impactful than you might imagine. Be sure to give yourself permission to say goodbye to those people, beliefs, or material possessions that no longer serve you. It’s possible to honor their role in your life while still acknowledging that you don’t need them anymore. You may find that you need some sort of ritual or form of closure in order to say goodbye and let go. Allow yourself that closure – after all, change can be difficult and anything you can do to ease the transition is good.

I help heart-forward businesses create thoughtfully crafted plans for growth and sustainability. I love to inspire people to think critically, dream big, and clear out the cobwebs to let in the light and the joy! Wanna leave your soul-crushing job to start your own business? Check out my new book, Work Life Revolution! Laura Burns is one of our licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitators.