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

“Every time I think about money I hit a brick wall.”

Let’s take a look at that sentence. On the surface it sounds familiar, like it’s a feeling shared among the masses. Lots of people think the same thing about money and express it the same way. But hitting a brick wall? That means suddenly coming to a screeching halt, slamming into the bricks and it probably involves a good deal of pain. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to be in pain. Especially when I’m just sitting here thinking!

So, maybe we can revise the internal image a little and make thinking about money more productive. After all, money is just a thing, a tool, like a hammer. And hammers break down brick walls, right? And you’re strong, right? So grab that hammer out of the toolbox and break through that brick wall!

Does that image inspire you to action? Will it sustain you through the challenges? If so, great!

Then make a point of imagining money as a hammer and breaking through that wall. If you think of this image with some regularity it can become your new normal train of thought… you think about money and you think about breaking through that wall and landing on the other side. If you do it consistently, pretty soon you’ll find that the old brick wall crumbles into dust at the mere idea that you might open your toolbox.

That’s the positive power of our thoughts!

Another way to improve your thinking about money involves the languaging in your thoughts. Look at the actual words used in your old thinking about money, then change them and substitute something more appealing to you. How about this:

“Every time I think about money, I’m wrapped in a soft fleece.”

Instead of hitting a brick wall, which is pretty unforgiving, you’re wrapped in a soft fleece. That simple word substitution takes you from something painful to something that’s strong, yet forgiving.

Pretty yummy, right? Wouldn’t you like to associate thinking about money with something yummy?

Our minds are so powerful. Tap into that power and put your brain to work to overcome limiting thinking about money. We can imagine anything, we can envision many variations on a given scenario.

Why not make those imagingings productive and inspiring.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.:

“A man’s mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation and never shrinks back to its former dimension.”

The next time you run into that brick wall in your thinking about money, try substituting a new image or better words to reframe your thinking and stretch your mind. Who says thinking about money can’t be yummy? Not me!

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. Cass is one of our licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitators.

Note from Jenn: If you want more ideas about how to change the way you think about money, check out the “Releasing Mental Money-Baggage” section (pages 101-104) of the Managing the Moola chapter in The Right-Brain Business Plan.

Have you ever wanted to pick the brain of a seasoned entrepreneur? One that has been successful for decades in multiple retail channels?

Watch this replay of my Livestream interview with Levenger CEO Steve Leveen about how he grew his company over the past 25 years, his productivity tips, and his advice for entrepreneurs. We also get into traditional tools vs. digital, leveraging mentors, taking risks, and conscious capitalism.

It’s rare that we get this type of up-close-and-personal interaction with an inspiring CEO. I learned so much from his wisdom and I know you will, too.

Plus, you get inside peeks into how both Steve and I use our Circa notebooks, a view of Steve’s bookshelf, and toward the very end Steve gives the best (hilarious and insightful) 1-line summary of the biography on Steve Jobs.

You can access the chat log here.

Being a huge fan of Levenger it was truly an honor to connect with Steve this afternoon. It’s also been my privilege and pleasure to be one of the 4 Circa Thought Leaders with the Right-Brain Business Plan Circa Notebook.

Have you been wanting to make your own tangible or info product? Come join my Right-Brain Product Development Playground on Sunday, November 11th either in-person at the gorgeous Teahouse Studio in Berkeley, CA or remotely via simulcast. I’ll share my right-brain tools and approaches for helping you package your ideas and gifts into products that your perfect peeps will love.

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

Leafing through the latest issue of Entrepreneur magazine, the jargon defined on page 27 caught my eye. “Fauxtrepreneur: a person who comes up with myriad business ideas but never actually sees one out.”

Could that be me? Could that be you?

This got me thinking. What does it take to see a business idea to fruition? How about this? A “Go-trepreneur: a person who comes up with myriad business ideas and discerns how to best move forward.”

It’s not easy to be a go-trepreneur. It takes paying attention to your best inner guidance to make choices, to gather info and support, to trust the timing of things, and to muster the courage and willingness to take action.

Here are a few practices that I find can help:

Practice discernment. Are you stuck and spinning your wheels, talking a good talk but not moving forward? Or, are you genuinely tuned in to the best timing of when to step out toward your business idea? Having a business plan sure helps you see what priorities have the most juice to be worth pursuing.

Practice telling on yourself to yourself. Are there some steps you need to take to add to the legitimacy of your entrepreneurial idea, dream or business? Perhaps you need to register your business name and make things official. Clean up the books, get insurance or hire legal advice. Maybe it’s time to file for copyright on that guidebook you wrote or artwork you completed. Buttoning up those business and legal details not only makes you feel more legit, it can shift your energy so that others can take you more seriously because you take your business more seriously.

Practice playing the part. We’ve heard “fake it till you make it.” That doesn’t mean you cheat on your taxes or mislead your customers, of course. But if you want to up your ‘genuine factor,’ ask yourself how you can play the part of a business person a bit more. Imagine the entrepreneur you envision yourself becoming. How does she carry herself? How does she handle the finances or learn what’s next? Do that. Even if it feels phony at first, don’t worry. Phony in this case is just a feeling because the action is new, not fake.

Let’s recap. How do you shed the “faux” and shift to “go”?

1. Plan it out. If you already have a business plan, spend some time with it. Let your plan point to what is most important.

2. Make it legit. Consult the wise one in you to sense whatever you need to do next to move your business a step in the direction of being more real.

3. Play it real. This is the paradox of tapping into the vision of your future entrepreneurial self and being her now. Don’t wait. It may feel like play acting at first, but by playing the part, you’ll not be pretending anymore.

Making way for creative action, Amy Egenberger, MEd., CPCC 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 on Oct 23, 2012 for a full-day of fun & focus on making your plan real. Right-Brain Business Plan® Workshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota

photo by Stefanie Renee
Guest post by licensed Right-Brain Business Plan Facilitator Laura Burns

Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, I spent much of my youth working helping with projects and learning about running a small business. That early training gifted me with excellent insight and business sense, but it didn’t spare me from learning how to run a business the hard way. It’s been a rollercoaster ride; a traffic jam’s worth of stop and go activity since I started my company. Laura Burns Consulting is not nearly where I want it to be, but I’m past the big hump. I’ve made it through the scary, brave, exciting, and ultimately terrifying jump into strange waters.

Along the way I’ve learned some lessons that were amazing opportunities to grow and become stronger. I know my experience isn’t unique, and I thought pulling the curtain back and letting everyone in on the conversation would be a great way to connect and commiserate. For newbie biz owners this might help steer you through the rocky waters of getting started.

Seasoned pros can read my experiences and remember when – maybe even comment with great tips and lessons they learned themselves. Either way, this post is for the creative entrepreneurs out there. You are amazing and inspiring, and regardless of where you are in your journey I know you’ll make it through stronger and better than ever. So here they are, my lessons learned. Enjoy, and please feel free to add your own in the comments.

It’s normal to be scared of failure, but don’t let it paralyze you.

What’s the worst that could happen? No, really. Take a moment and figure out the worst possible scenario that could happen to you if your business failed. Really think through the circumstances you might find yourself in. I’ve found that ignoring the reality of what could happen makes it much scarier. After doing this exercise with myself I was able to see that my worst-case scenario wasn’t that scary after all. By de-mystifying failure I was able to move through my fear and really allow myself to emotionally dive into making my business a success.

Stop giving it away.

I know for lots of us it feels difficult to charge people for our products and services. Maybe you’ve gotten used to giving your work away, or maybe you just don’t feel ‘professional enough’ to ask for a realistic fee. Either way it’s time to step up the plate and ask yourself whether or not you want to succeed and make your business happen. Your friends, family, and new clients will understand – they know how business works. If you’ve done the work and know who your perfect customer is and how to approach them, they’ll see the value in your work and be happy to pay what you ask.

Be smart about trades.

Trading your work for someone else’s products and services can be a great way to expand your portfolio, get things you need without paying cash for them, and creating relationships you can nurture and potentially turn into paying clients. BUT, and that’s capitalized for a reason, be careful to only make trades that are truly beneficial to you. This goes for pro-bono work as well. It’s easy to accept someone’s offer for a trade or request for pro-bono work, but as you get into the project you may find yourself in deeper than you intended.
I’ve had to learn to say ‘no’ to people’s requests for trades that didn’t enrich my life or business in any way. It can be difficult at first, but after a little practice it’s easy to stick with only trading or doing pro-bono work that genuinely helps you out.
One practice I’ve implemented is guidelines for my pro-bono work. I will take on, at any given time, only 3 pro-bono clients and they understand that they are not guaranteed a specific number of hours per month. I keep these clients for a maximum of 6 months, at which time they know they’ll cycle off my list. They can re-apply after a year, and understand that the same rules will apply. Having this set in stone makes it easier to say no to people asking for free help.

Know who your people are and stick with em’.

Whether it’s customers, coaches, employees, or supporters there is a type of person who understands you and your work. Some people just ‘get it’ and automatically understand your vision, values, mission, purpose, etc. These are your people. Know them, love them, and nurture those relationships. These are the folks that will support you, collaborate with you, defend you, promote you, and pay you money to do amazing work.

It’s great to branch out and tap new markets, but don’t be afraid to say no to people. Part of the reason I started my company was to be more in control of the people I worked with. I had to learn to turn down clients and community collaborators who didn’t seem to fit in with me. Now I refer lots of potential clients to other professionals because I don’t feel like their values, vision, and personalities mesh with mine. As first it was really hard to do this – it’s money. Why would you turn money away?

For me it’s been a journey from fear to confidence. I’m glad that I’ve reached a point where I know that if I turn someone away there is something else way better that’s going to come along. Just believe, and it’ll happen.

Be flexible and open to change.

My business looks very different today than it did one year ago. Sometimes your idea of what products and services you’ll offer is different than what the public actually wants from you. Listen to the universe and pay attention to what bubbles up organically. The best and most satisfying changes I’ve made with my company have come from the community around me speaking up about their needs. Listening to them has enriched my business exponentially!

Haters gonna hate.

Just like in every other aspect of life, you can’t please everyone with your business. There will always be some people who naysay your work. When you’re not feeling totally confident it’s easy to listen to naysayers. Try not to do it, and once you learn that someone is a Negative Nellie, stop talking to them about your business.

Many people out there will send negativity your way, and it’s usually not even about you. We all carry around baggage, and lots of people tend to immediately turn negative when faced with someone’s brave decision to dive in and follow their heart.

Much of the time this response has nothing to do with your business idea and competence, but it’s easy to take their words to heart and let the bad vibes bring you down.

This list is clearly not exhaustive, but these are the lessons that really stick out for me. It’s been quite a journey to get to this place, and I know there are years of lessons ahead. What have you learned during your time as a business owner? Tell us in the comments, and help us all learn from your experiences!

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I help heart-forward businesses create thoughtfully crafted plans for growth and sustainability. Starting your own business? Working on the one you already have? I love to inspire people to think critically, dream big, and clear out the cobwebs to let in the light and the joy! Laura Burns is one of our licensed Right-Brain Business Plan® Facilitators.

Today The Right-Brain Business Plan is featured on Levenger founder Steve Leveen’s blog.

Steve shares, “Don’t tell my finance group, but I no longer feel quite so deficient for not taking accounting courses when Lori and I became entrepreneurs. I have Jennifer Lee to thank.”

Love it!

I chat with Levenger about creativity and business, yoga, and the contemplative power of paper. Click here to read the full interview.

Next week, you can join a live video chat with me and Steve Leveen. We’ll be discussing paper vs. pixels, how he’s grown his business (they’re celebrating their 25th anniversary this month!), and more. I’m obsessed with Levenger and their amazing products so I can’t wait to pick Steve’s brain! Stop on by my livestream channel at 1pm PT on Tuesday, October 23rd and chat with us.

Levenger and I recently partnered to create the Right-Brain Business Plan Circa Notebook.

Break out of the boring notebook rut with this right-brain system for planning, brainstorming, and launching your next big vision!

While I’m really digging my new iPhone 5 (it’s so sleek!) and I do appreciate working online, I must say that I have a penchant for good old fashioned paper. For sticky notes and index cards, for well-designed wall calendars and fun, collaged vision boards. And for really great notebooks.

I’ve been a long-time fan of Levenger, especially their Circa Notebooks (which are super functional and flexible) so you can bet I was thrilled by the opportunity to partner with them to make a Right-Brain Business Plan® Circa Notebook. Our collaborative product just launched this week and I my first batch arrived the other day. Exciting! Also available now is creative cohort and past Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit speaker Todd Henry’s Circa Idea Notebook, another great resource.

I’m not the only one who appreciates analog. Recently, I was coaching a client on a creative project near and dear to her heart. However, when it came to one major action item that involved getting on the computer and processing images, her energy got heavy and heady.

What lights her up is engaging with her art and working with her hands, so to help her ease into the task we gave her permission to work in the physical realm first before going digital. Ahh, the sigh of relief!

In his fantastic book Steal Like an Artist, writer and artist Austin Kleon talks about how he bounces between analog and digital. During the creative process Austin advises us to “step away from the screen” and “find a way to bring your body into your work.” I couldn’t agree more.

I enjoy the convenience of reading on my iPad however when it comes to inspiring my muse, nothing beats holding and experiencing a real book, especially one that’s bursting with colorful images.

For idea generation and planning, I love starting with paper, sticky notes, markers, index cards, Circa notebooks, and art supplies. The tactile, hands-on nature allows me to get messy and engage with my thoughts in a more tangible way. The process feels more open and malleable, which is great for the start of a project. Awhile back I wrote about some of my favorite right-brain planning tools here.

Then when I’m ready to structure, hone, edit, or implement my ideas, I typically will transition to the computer. I like that it’s easier to search for key words, manipulate information, and refine and track my content.

And then often times I’ll circle back to analog. I’ll print out what I’ve been working on so that I can I hold it in my hands, write notes in the margins, cross things out, and further finesse. It just makes the final version feel more “real.”

I do the analog/digital dance with calendars, too. When I’m initially mapping out a project, I need to see a physical calendar right in front of me in order for any of the milestone dates to make sense. Once I braindump and move my sticky notes around, things get clearer. And when I’m ready to lock in the dates, I like having them plugged into my Google calendar so I can block off work-time, stay on top of my schedule, and get sent appointment reminders. Once big to-do’s are done, I love walking over to my calendar and drawing a big, fat checkmark! Curious about how I use my wall calendar? In the first part of this video I share my right-brain system.

Do you prefer analog or digital? Or both? I’d love to hear about your favorite real-life or virtual tools and how you use them.

By the way, I’ll be interviewing Levenger founder, Steve Leveen, via Livestream on Tuesday, October 23rd at 1pm PT (sign-up here to get a reminder). Levenger provides tools (both the old fashioned and new tech types) for serious readers and they’re celebrating their 25th anniversary this month.

I can’t wait to ask Steve about how he grew his business over the years and also his take on the whole analog vs. digital debate. Hope you can join us!