Name:  Jacqueline Lloyd Smith
Company Name:  Strategic Play® Group Limited
Website: http://www.strategicplay.ca/
Twitter: @jacquiello

Note from Jenn: Jacqueline Lloyd Smith is a savvy business consultant who speaks my language - one that's visual, colorful and tactile! I got to meet Jacquie and her International teammates in Atlanta a few months ago and absolutely love the work they do with LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™, graphic facilitation, and innovation. You can get a peek at the type of work she does from some of the fun photos below.

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

Strategic Play® focuses on visual problem solving, training, and facilitation to improve innovation. We work with individuals, teams, and organizations and use unique hands-on tools like LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY™ processes, Simplexity™ Applied Creative Problem Solving, and Graphic Coaching.  All our workshops include the creative arts, as we know that when people are having fun they learn and think at a higher level. Building 3D models enables people to have richer and deeper conversations, allowing them to solve problems faster while communicating better.

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?

Since we are a visual, hands-on company, using a right-brained approach to business planning simply makes good business sense.  We know our hands are connected to our brains and if we want to get the most out of our heads, we need to use a whole brain thinking approach.  This process gives the brain a picture, which it needs in order to think.  This creative approach to business planning is truly a revolution since people are hungry for hands-on creative tools.

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

I attended Jennifer’s workshop with my associates from Europe and Australia. We were able to share our individual business plans with each other and discuss ways we might collaborate into the future.  We are growing our business quickly and this workshop gave us a way to really focus in on what we hope to achieve in the near and distant future. For any business to be successful it needs to have clear goals and a good path forward.

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

When we build with LEGO® models we are building ideas that have not yet been tried, we create stories that have never been told, we share ideas we discover as we build.  We then test those ideas in the playroom, where we can take risks and troubleshoot solutions before going to market where we will need to take risks. We use art, play, and storytelling to solution find and innovate. We capture ideas on large graphic, visual charts where people can see how they and others are connecting and contributing to the development of the future.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

If you are a creative person take advantage of your core strength and build a business plan using your imagination and intuition.  Using this process will help you to get clear about what you want to achieve and your true passion. When you hold your completed business plan in your hands you will be able to tell the story of how you are going to be the creator of the future that you want and will develop.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. - Marianne Williamson, Return to Love, 1992

Creative Resources

Click here for more information about Jacqueline Lloyd Smith.

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.

Follow your path even when things are not clear.

As you move toward your big dreams, you might not always know the exact steps you need to take to get you there. That’s okay. Keep trusting that you are on your path and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Each step will bring you closer to your goal.

Name:  Miranda Hersey
Company Name:  Miranda Hersey Creative Coaching
Website: www.mirandahersey.com
Blog: www.studiomothers.com
Twitter: @mirandahersey and @studiomothers

Note from Jenn: Miranda Hersey, a creative coach for moms, is full of inspiration and positive support. I was delighted to get to know her and her business better in my recent Right-Brain Business Plan® e-Course. And I absolutely LOVED seeing the video she made at the end of the course where she did a super fun show and tell of her Right-Brain Business Plan®. The outtakes at the end are priceless! Thanks, Miranda!

I’m passionate about creativity, learning, and helping others realize their intuition and presence. As a creativity coach, I specialize in working with creative mothers, helping women navigate the complexities of living their creative dreams while raising their children. With a lifetime of dedication to the arts and five children of my own, I understand the challenges of maintaining a creative identity — and career — while raising a family. It’s not easy, but there are ways to use the “constraints” of parenthood to your advantage.

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 fell in love with the RBBP within the first few pages. I wanted very much to complete the entire book and create my plan, but with so many balls in the air, I found myself making much slower progress than I wanted. So when I saw that the RBBP e-course was starting again, I signed up, knowing that the course deadlines would keep me on track and see me through to a complete plan. It did that, and a lot more. I learned so much from my classmates and through Jenn’s personal interaction with each of us—what an amazingly supportive and inspiring community. (And now that our course is complete, our relationships continue through an alumni accountability group. Bonus!)

The RBBP book and e-course opened my eyes to possibilities that I hadn’t considered. In my other career as a writer and editor, I’ve consulted on business plans before, and I’m well versed in the requisite ingredients—but Jennifer’s right-brain approach is a completely different animal. The difference is that the RBBP works from the base of individual passions and values, ensuring that your business vision is an expression of what is most important to you. In this way, your business passes the acid test: If you won the lottery, would you still get up every day and do what you’re doing? For me, with this business, the answer is yes. The RBBP process helped me know that, to the core.

Before embarking on the RBBP, I knew what I wanted to do (complete my certification as a creativity coach and launch a coaching business), but my action plan was a little fuzzy, to say the least. The RBBP helped me to define exactly what I want to do, identify the many different ancillary elements of my business, and—perhaps most importantly—empowered me to make it happen. There’s something about having a roadmap that is deeply comforting. Sure, a few interesting and unexpected side trips may come up along the way—and I’ll be sure not to miss out on those—but being able to see the big picture is reassuring and inspiring all at once.

Being able to “collage your way to a business plan,” as I often put it, really feels like having your cake and eating it too (without ever gaining a pound, of course). The process wasn’t about putting myself in a box and creating a bunch of somewhat meaningless jargon; it was a brilliant path of self-discovery, followed-up by a concrete action plan. Pretty appealing stuff.

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

One of my goals in the products and services arena was to launch a monthly empowerment workshop for creative women. I have partnered with a creative cohort in my hometown to make this happen. Working collaboratively is exciting—it’s less scary than going it alone and provides built-in accountability, which more than compensates for not having complete creative control. We’ll be launching our workshops this fall. Other items that are in the “YES! DID IT!” category are: website, newsletter, guest posts at online creative venues, robust Facebook page (www.facebook.com/studiomothers).

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

I use my intuition as a guide and a filter—as many of us do—but sometimes it can be difficult to discern between one’s true intuition and those unpleasant voices that often peer over our shoulders, providing unwanted commentary. One of the reasons that the RBBP is so effective is that it helps us tap into our intuition and strengthen that voice. Creating a business plan that may well encompass your life’s work and deepest sense of mission can be frightening and intimidating. It can be hard to let go into intuition. But by turning the process into a creative, visual experience, it’s easier to take a deep breath and remind yourself to trust the process. Not sure exactly where a particular exercise is going? Suddenly stricken with panic and self-doubt? That’s OK. See the exercise through to the finish, and suddenly you realize that you’ve arrived somewhere. It was hairy for a while, but you made it out the other side and have a whole lot to show for the effort. This affirming outcome serves to deepen your intuition, which in turn feeds back into your work. Wow!

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 made my plan using the Right-Brain Business Plan® Kit. Creating the physical version of my plan at the close of the RBBP e-course was a fabulous way to integrate all of the work we’d done over our 8 weeks of classes. I printed photographs of the larger elements and printed mini versions of our playsheets in order to migrate my existing work into the compact format. I wanted my plan to be a tool that I would refer to and use regularly, and the kit included components that helped me create exactly what I wanted. It was amazing to see how the different elements all fit together to create a complete, coherent piece.

What’s your vision for your business?

My big vision is to make the world a better place by supporting mothers in their creativity so that they may live full, satisfying lives—and embrace the beauty of the everyday. As a coach, my ultimate goal is to be a supportive, connected guide who helps women find and embrace their own deepest truths, define and meet their goals, and live each day in wonder and presence.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

My advice for other creative entrepreneurs is to read and complete the RBBP, if you haven’t already. Even for those who think they’re already following their dreams, the RBBP will help develop and define that dream as you turn your big vision into reality. Then, put your plan into action and stay the course. Staying plugged into an accountability group, partner, or coach is key.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I feel so fortunate to have found the RBBP. I know that I wouldn’t have the clarity, inspiration, and determination that I have today if I hadn’t had the RBBP experience. Hugs and gratitude to Jenn and all my classmates from the summer RBBP e-course!

Creative Resources

Click here for more information about Miranda Hersey.

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.

Last week was the Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs here in San Francisco. I was only able to attend on Saturday, but had a great time connecting with lots of cool people.

Here are a couple of pages that link to some helpful resources from the conference:

• Etsy Success e-Mail with links to a customer profile worksheet and a new product worksheet
• Conference speaker Willo O'Brien's list of links for collaboration, getting things done, building an online shop, and more.

Name: Mikki Baloy Davis
Company Name: Pamo Healing
Website: www.pamohealing.com
Twitter: @mikkibaloydavis

Note from Jenn: I had the pleasure of meeting Mikki at the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI) Conference in Atlanta in June. Mikki is a gentle, wise soul who does shamanic healing and energy work and officiates ceremonies. Plus, this lovely woman has a wicked sense of humor! Mikki is launching her new e-Book Office Shamanism soon. I’m getting a sneak peek now and it’s brimming with good stuff. Read on to learn more about Mikki and her delightful Right-Brain Business Plan®.

What is your business and what makes your business unique?

I’m a shamanic healer, workshop facilitator, and ordained ceremonialist.  It’s work that’s beautiful, transformational, profound, common-sense, magical, ancient AND modern… I feel so lucky to get to be a part of people’s healing processes and to witness so much resiliency and revelation.  Plus, it’s fun – my job includes playing with paint, talking about power animals, and writing wedding ceremonies.

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?

My background is in both theater and in non-profit management, so I have the organizational know-how to run an office, produce a play, and learn my lines (in fact, there were times I did all three at once).  I’m perfectly capable of working in Excel and Quickbooks, but… ick.  It just feels better to work with color, to see an actual material thing come out of the business planning process.  It was easy for me to avoid the dry, “responsible” stuff before it became a labor of love and glitter.  Now, I don’t need to avoid it.  I have this tangible, pretty business plan that I can update at will, whenever I see another image that’s inspiring or have a great idea.  It’s not so much a plan as a process – which is how I approach my work anyway!

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

I’m having some wonderful friends and colleagues in my upcoming e-guide, Office Shamanism: Big-time Energy Shifting, Inside and Out.  I’ve also been keeping to my writing deadlines so that I can launch on time.  I’ve made contact with a few of the people in my creative cohort for different kinds of support, and listed a bunch of places that might host my workshop so that I can send my proposal to them in the coming months.   This is all in just the weeks since my RBBP class, and there’s a lot more good stuff to look forward to!

How do you use your creative intuition in your work?

My work is absolutely intuitive, from start to finish.  There are ancient (read: time-tested) tools and techniques that I try to use impeccably, but ultimately every session, workshop, and ceremony is different from the last.  I love to tap into the shared energy at any given moment, allowing the process to be collaborative.  I intuitively create the space for change to happen.

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 created my RBBP at the Creative Problem Solving Institute conference (where I was leading a workshop, as well).  Jennifer provided all of the materials and we had a ball making art-mess in the midst of keynotes and hotel luncheons.  It was so much fun to go home with this cool thing and show it to my husband, and see him get excited for me and my business, too.

What’s your vision for your business?

I want to continue to build my private consultation practice, working with as many people as I can in-person and by phone and skype.  I want to bring my workshop, Journey to Your Muse, to major retreat centers and create a multimedia program on the same theme.  I’m sure I’ll develop other workshops along the way.  I’ll launch Office Shamanism and write other digital guides – one of which I’ve already outlined –  and I’d love to do a few weddings, baby-blessings, and other ceremonies every year.  I’m also hoping to continue to study the shamanic work of several different cultures to build a really big repertoire of techniques (a giant healer’s toolbox).

That should keep me busy for a while.

What advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs?

Go where the joy is, because we’re here to thrive – not to settle.  And if there are things that scare you or feel really sticky, there are ways to deal with that, to learn from and heal the sore spots so that you can move forward in doing what you love.

Is there anything you’d like to share ?

Just to check out my website www.pamohealing.com.  I love to keep in touch.

Creative Resources

Click here for more information about Mikki Baloy Davis.

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.

The fabulous Willo O’Brien has started a new video series called WilloToons Connect where she shares her wisdom as a seasoned entrepreneur and interviews other inspiring creatives. The latest interview is with Bay Area artist Mati Rose. Mati co-founded Teahouse Studio with Tiffany Moore and Stefanie Renee.

Speaking of Teahouse Studio and entrepreneurship, for you local creative entrepreneurs, Tara Gentile will be leading a workshop called The Art of Earning at Teahouse Studio this fall.

And I’ll be leading a Right-Brain Business Plan® workshop at Teahouse Studio in February 2012, so stay tuned in the coming months about that. And if you’d rather get started now, you can do so on your own time with the Right-Brain Business Plan® Home Study e-Course.