Metromom. connecting women, creating change

It’s National Procrastination Week (March 1 – 7, 2010) so it’s a good time as busy entrepreneurs to think about how to conquer procrastination. When you work at home it’s so easy to procrastinate. Why? Because you’re always busy.

You can confuse being busy with being productive. They are not the same thing.

For me, having three children and a home-based business make for a very busy day (as I’m sure you can relate to). There are lunches to pack, carpools to run, emails to answer, and calls to make. While all these tasks are necessary for me to run a household, and care for my children, I can use them as an excuse to procrastinate important projects that will help me grow my business.

It’s too easy, and as work at home entrepreneurs we’re all guilty of getting caught up in activities that take our time but get us nowhere in our business. I call these “time vampires” because they literally take the life out of our business.

Some Examples of Time Vampires (during business hours) Include:

• Checking emails constantly throughout the day
• Answering your personal phone line (except if it’s an emergency)
• Doing household chores and errands

The solutions is to vanquish these time vampires and intentionally set aside dedicated time and focus on activities that directly impact our bottom line.

Here are some practical ways to get moving on a project you’ve been procrastinating:

• Chunk out times of the day for particular revenue-generating activities.

• Focus on only one task at a time.

• Close applications on your computer to prevent distraction.

Instead of procrastinating you’ll start using your work time more efficiently. As a result you’ll be able to enjoy your personal time—knowing you’ve already engaged in activities that are moving your business forward.

Got any tips that help you work efficiently from home? Please share them!

When I began my online entrepreneurial business I was not as sensitive as I am now to the HUGE  importance of growing your list (or in language I prefer to use – growing your community).

The fact is without a pipeline of new people learning about who you are and what you do, and how it can benefit them, your business will dry up. Your community are those that follow you, observe what you’re doing, share it with their friends (if they like you) and will ultimately be those that purchase from you.

I have 2 business girlfriends who I want to introduce you to who offer resources to support you to expand your list…

• First is Gina Bell. As the founder of the International Association of Women in Business Online, Gina is hosting a F*R*E*E event called List Attraction Week (starting March 8th) that is devoted to list attraction with a team of expert mentors who will walk you through this essential piece of creating success online. You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again… The money is in your list! But what does that REALLY mean?

During List Attraction Week you will discover how to increase your list of relevant and responsive subscribers quickly and constantly so you can save time, get clients and make money! (And… how to do it with authenticity and ethics too!). And the promise of “The Money is in Your List” will finally make sense!

Gina has put together a panel of 12 experts (myself included) that includes Alexis Neely, Leesa Barnes, Wendy Y Bailey and MaryKay Morgan. Together you’ll learn information about…

…auto responders, double opt-ins, squeeze pages, ethical bribes/freebies/pink spoons, ezines, newsletters, virtual events, joint ventures, speaking, article marketing, blogging, social media, follow up strategies and much, much more.

Just one golden nugget of learning (if implemented) can make a huge difference in your list building efforts.

You can get all the details of List Attraction week and register here:  http://budurl.com/LAW10

• My second business girlfriend (and mentor) is Carrie Wilkerson. I first learned of Carrie’s skills around list building over a year ago. She grew her list by 24,000 people in one year with no paid traffic resources, and I wanted to see what she was doing.

I immediately purchased her 12-week Magnetic List Building course, which has suggestions (and valuable exercises) to grow your list.  Carrie has a gift of taking what can feel complicated to making it very manageable and easy to execute. I highly recommend checking her product. It’s very reasonably priced at just 3 payments of $27 and I promise that by executing some of her ideas, the investment will be worth it.

You can get all the details of Carrie’s Magnetic List Building course, visit my affiliate link:  http://budurl.com/maglist

 Community/list building in an ongoing process, and it requires commitment to develop essential skills in this area. There are so many list-building tools that I believe it’s important to just focus on 1-3 at a time so you can do it effectively and not be spread so thin.  Just one strategy that you can confidently implement with consistency can completely transform your results. With both Carrie’s Magnetic List Building course and Gina’s List Attraction Week event, you’ll get dozen of ideas that you can quickly put into work.

I’d love hear what’s working (or not) as you build your community.

As a woman in business for yourself, who you are – including your relationship with money – translates into your business. A few months ago I interviewed my good friend and mastermind buddy, Linda Hunt, for a training call for my members on The Language of Money – Understanding Your Language Around Money So You Can Change Your Relationship With It. I want to share just a few highlights from that call on how to improve your relationship with money.

 

 Women In Business - How to Improve Your Relationship with Money [Metromom Podcast] [6:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here we are in the middle of summer and there are moments when I’m really enjoying myself and others when I’m really stressed. If you’re like me I swing back and forth between the two. There are moments with my kids where I wish summer would never end and there are those times when school can’t start soon enough!

 

 Summer Sanity Tips for Work at Home Moms [Metromom Podcast] [5:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Lorin Mask and I had a  great discussion about the realities of life when your spouse has lost their job and its impact on your marriage and life, and her suggestions for tools for staying on track.

Lorin is also creating daily affirmations so you can start your day off with a positive thought. Vist her blog to learn more.

 

 Metromom in the Spotlight - Lorin Mask - When Your Husband's Lost His Job [27:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There are times in your life when someone special shows up and you have that inner knowing feeling that they’re meant to be there for a bigger reason. That was exactly how I felt when I met Sandy Grason for the first time in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. As someone who picks up on other people’s energy, I felt a strong connection immediately. We were together as part of a group of entrepreneurial moms collaborating on something bigger than ourselves, and the spirit of abundance was incredibly prevalent in the room.

In sharing what she was working on, and the gifts that she could bring to our group, the one word that stood out for me was “empire”.  For some reason, the word empire has always intrigued me from a business perspective. Not in a Martha Stewart kind of way, but in a way that feels limitless, and feminine and full of choices and possibilities. (As a side note, when my NY lawyer father helped me to incorporate my company, he advised that if I planned on having an empire, (a very unusual word for him to use in describing my entrepreneurial pursuits) I should incorporate in Delaware. The word just felt right, and that’s what I did.)

As Sandy spoke more, I got the gist that she takes women through a fun process to create their empire. I definitely wanted to learn more, and I tuned into her artfully-created video entitled The Jerry Maguire Manifesto (which is a must-see). She asks the important question:

Why do you have to either do the work you love with your heart & soul and struggle with the money part or go so deeply into the marketing of your business that you feel like a used car salesman willing to do anything for a buck?

The answer is: You don’t. You can have the Coin and the Kwan (love). You CAN be recognized for your passion and your purpose. You can create an empire that works for you.

Before I conceived of Metromom, I was very clear that I love to connect with other women. This is a joyful experience for me, and I do it effortlessly. IMAGINE… if I could create a business where I get to connect great women to each other, provide them with lots of value, make a great income for my family AND give back in a really big way. In my first year of business, this was my vision and I moved forward on this path.

As I embark on year two, I realize, I’m being called forth to figure out my next step, and expand and deepen the work that I’m doing. One idea I feel compelled to finally share (even though I don’t  know how it will happen)  is that I am meant to  help 12 amazing women take their brilliance and passion, and get it out there in a bigger way so they can dramatically change people’s lives. (Who are these 12 women? I don’t know yet, but I trust they’ll show up perfectly, and imagining them brings up delightful visions for me of being in a candy store.)

The timing of my meeting Sandy is serendipity and synchronicity all rolled into one. With her new program, The Fabulous Formula, that I am just thrilled to begin, she will share (with me and a group of other amazing women) a new way of experiencing your business, of creating wealth, and of BEING. She will focus on getting clear about your biggest vision and going after it. And focusing on who you are when you’re at your greatest.

The other important question Sandy asked is “who’s coming with me?” I immediately raised my hand, signing on to participate in The Fabulous Formula with her. The question I offer to you is: would you like to join us? If this speaks to you, I’d love nothing more than for you to join me on this empire-building journey. Please visit her site to learn more. I’d also love to hear your comments about your own dreams for your own empire.

If you’re a mom and an entrepreneur, and you’re anything like me, my guess is that you’ve had moments of guilt. It can be challenging to balance all of your responsibilities without feeling like your neglecting something, whether that’s your work, your children, your partner, your friends or yourself.

 

 Mom Entrepreneurs Need Self-Care Not Guilt [Metromom Podcast] [7:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In preparation for the Metromom Online Success Telesummit on May 1^st and 2^nd, I’ve been very busy interviewing 18 internet marketing experts, and quite honestly I’m amazed by the quality of content they’re providing. What really struck me yesterday was the constant underlying theme that kept coming up from all of the experts – the importance of being authentic in your marketing.

I heard it from Nancy Marmolejo as she talked about social networking, Michele PW as she shared copywriting tips, and Wendy Maynard as she discussed blogging. They all said basically the same thing – the key to being successful online is to be authentic and create relationships that are mutually beneficial.

A mom entrepreneur that I find especially inspirational – because of her authenticity – is Amy Miyamoto. As a mother of 3-year old twins, Amy is (in my mind) the ultimate Metromom! She will also be speaking at the Telesummit on How to Leverage the Power of Social Media to Create a Community of Raving Fans and Still Have Time for Your Family and Yourself.

I love the way Amy is promoting her talk. She created the YouTube segment above to explain what she’ll be sharing.  What really appeals to me about video messages is that I find it to be a great medium to let your personality shine through. (FYI – Amy will share how she created this message really quickly.)

If doing business authentically and on your own terms is important to you, you don’t want to miss hearing from these experts. Visit this page to learn more about what they’ll be sharing. #mtmm09

Men make up 82% of the recession’s job losses, which means countless women are out there looking for work to make up for the lost paycheck. The problem is it’s almost impossible to find a job right now, so for many women their only hope is to get a home-based business up and running as quickly as possible. The internet provides these women with endless options and increased flexibility.

I strongly believe that having a website is now a necessity for every entrepreneur – even for the mom working part-time in her basement. I’m in the same situation as many women, since my husband lost his job five months ago. I understand the challenges facing work-at-home moms. “Most women I speak with are overwhelmed with the internet – they’ve heard about great tools like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, podcasts, and YouTube but don’t know where to start. They don’t want to waste time on things that won’t have a direct impact on their bottom line.” Due to the monumentally increased financial pressure on moms, these women need help figuring out how to use the internet to generate an income quickly.

With so many struggling, I’ve decided to host a virtual Telesummit to help as many women as possible learn how to use the internet to prosper and profit. I chose a Telesummit as the ideal way for women to learn without travel costs and time away from their family. On May 1st and 2nd women worldwide can access trainings from eighteen highly-respected, nationally-recognized online experts who’ve agreed to share their best internet marketing strategies for absolutely no charge. (Speakers include: Nancy Marmolejo, Michele PW, Alicia Forest, Victoria Colligan and Beth Schneider)

Women (and men) will be able to access free training seminars by calling from their phone or by listening via the Internet. Learn more about the Metromom Online Success Telesummit taking place May 1st and 2nd.  #mtmm09

I read a really interesting article in the New York Times entitled “Direct Sales as a Recession Fallback.” According to this article many direct sales companies report rising numbers of sellers signing up. The spokeswoman for the Direct Selling Association said that’s typical in recessionary years. Why?

The article said people use their earnings to pay off debts or as a way to bring in cash while they — or their spouses — look for jobs. Also, if you want to start a home-based business, the start-up costs for direct sales are usually fairly minimal.

I believe direct sales to be a smart option in ANY economy. Here are the five reasons I see women drawn to direct sales as a career option:

1. MONEY – Direct sales gives us the ability to meet and establish our own financial goals – whether that’s a few hundred dollars a month or a more substantial income.

2. CONTROL – Direct sales allows us to control our careers. Instead of just a JOB, we enjoy something more meaningful. You can also work around your family’s schedule.

3. FUN – There are over 30 industries represented in direct sales, so there is certainly something to fit your interests – from books, to finances, to travel, to gourmet food, to wellness products, to scrapbooking… Many of us also love the chance to share our products through “parties” and gatherings.

4. BEING OF SERVICE – As women when we find a solution to a problem we naturally want to share it with others and direct sales helps us to do that while we make a profit.

5. PRODUCTS – Direct sales allows us to get our products at a reduced price and/or make a commission for sharing something we’d happily buy anyway. (Here’s an extra perk, products moved through direct sales, like jewelry, cosmetics or home décor items, are often considered recession-resistant because most are priced under $50.)

Why should you care about your reasons? Knowing what motivates you is a key factor in your success. Read more in my article Unique Home-Based Business Opportunity in Direct Sales.

Women in direct sales – please share what you DO and DON’T like about direct sales. Also, what impact on your direct sales business have you seen by the economic slowdown?