Working with the wrong people is draining. Getting clear about who your ideal business partner is, and using that as a filter in all you do, will allow you to attract the right partners into your business so your business can grow and move forward.
I’ve learned a lot of crucial lessons this year as I launched Metromom — one of the biggest has been the need to stay open. Open to change, open to feedback, open to trusting my intuition and open to new opportunities that perhaps I never considered before.
Many of you remember that I started Metromom with a focus on providing a community for women in direct sales. My member’s area was called The Metromom Direct Sales Association. Soon after launching I realized that my focus was too narrow, and I needed to open up to the possibilities.
This realization came to me as I led a 4-week Incubator Program in my local area for Ladies Who Launch. During this time, I met with 6 fabulous entrepreneurial women. Not a single one was involved in direct sales, yet they were very interested in what I was doing with my Metromom community.
These women were entrepreneurial and they were moms. I suddenly realized that they could benefit from connecting with like-minded women that were a part of Metromom. But how could that be, since I had worked so hard to establish my niche?
I made a decision. I expanded my niche. I realized that being a Metromom isn’t about being in a particular kind of business or industry – it’s really about your attitude. A Metromom is a driven, evolving woman committed to caring for her family, nurturing her career and achieving success on her own terms. So in October I officially changed our member’s area to The Metromom Entrepreneurs Association™.
I didn’t abandon moms in direct sales, in fact, by making our community more inclusive they benefit even more because I truly believe that every member has something valuable to share and teach.
During one of my Coffee with Kim calls my recent decision to expand my community was confirmed. I listened to the interaction between a new member, not in direct sales, with another member who was. They both were benefiting from the connection and I was so pleased that I was able to provide the space for this new relationship to develop, and for their businesses to thrive.
The lesson I learned was that by staying open I was able to expand my business and reach out to more women.
I have a really exciting announcement to share with you. A few months ago I was interviewed about The Seven Deadly Sins Women in Direct Sales Make…and How to Avoid Them.
I received such positive response from women that I was motivated to expand on this interview and create a 7-Week Guide. This guide walks you through the ins-and-outs of each Deadly Sin and provides concise action steps on how to conquer them.
I decided that instead of making it just another ebook or info product (if you’re like me you have a few of these that you still haven’t read), I would create it to be an email series over 7 weeks. This weekly training program will help women learn from my mistakes AND save time and money. In today’s economy I’m very conscious of the fact that most moms really can’t afford to make mistakes, they want to know what works.
For me the key message that I want to communicate through these 7 weeks is that Small Changes Make Big Differences. That’s what’s so exciting about being an entrepreneur – the CEO of your own life – you’ll be able to see tangible results at the end of the 7 weeks by making a few small changes…
Check it out for yourself. By applying these suggestions I TRIPLED my income in one month. I wish you a prosperous New Year!
I am so grateful to have the support of our Metromom community during these challenging economic times. I want to share an experience I recently had that really demonstrates the quality of abundance available to us when we connect and share, and even express our vulnerability.
I had a member of The Metromom Entrepreneurs Association recently approach me with a problem. She was frustrated with her lack of progress in her direct sales business and wanted to know what other women in the community were doing to be successful. I immediately thought of some women that I thought would be helpful to her, who were in totally different businesses.
One of the women I connected her with is an intuitive. She helped this struggling metromom get to the root of her problem by asking her what she really loved to do. Through this meaningful interaction she discovered that she wasn’t pursuing her passion. There was, in fact, another business idea she had in the “back of her mind” and that is where her true energy lay.
This was such an exciting discovery. When I learned the direction she now wanted to go (which was totally different than her direct sales business), I was able to connect her with another woman who will be able to offer her the guidance she needs in her new endeavor. It was like a spider web of connections created to give this metromom the support she needed.
This experience reminded me of the quality of abundance we have as a community of like-minded women. However, to get that support we need we have to be willing to open up and even be somewhat vulnerable with our situation. Are you struggling? Don’t struggle alone. If you’re a member of The Metromom Entrepreneurs Association take advantage of all the ways of connecting – through our Monthly Meetings, Search & Connect and our Connection Café. And please always feel free to share questions or concerns by posting comments on our blog.
You don’t have to look far to notice the rise of women entrepreneurs. What inspires and drives these women? There are many reasons from a great idea, to a lack of fulfillment in their current job, to the excitement of taking a risk to the need to create a work/life balance.
What about you? Are you an entrepreneur or maybe considering it? Take a look at what might be motivating you:
* Economic necessity. Some women are working full-time and still can’t make ends meet. With the current strain on the economy having extra money coming in is not an option, it’s a necessity. Some women are laid-off so being self-employed becomes the best alternative.
* Solving problems and sharing solutions. For some women it’s not about the money it’s about solving a problem or sharing a solution. Inventors usually design new products to solve problems. Take for instance Julie Clark, founder of The Baby Einstein Company, she wanted to provide educational videos for her own babies and saw a lack in the marketplace. Women are often drawn to direct sales—like Avon, Melaleuca or Arbonne—because they’ve found products they enjoy and naturally want to share these solutions with others.
* Hitting the corporate glass ceiling. Some corporate women feel like they’ve taken their career as far as it will go. They’re dissatisfied by their options and want a career that will be more fulfilling. Entrepreneurship is often the answer for these driven women who enjoy being their own boss.
* Freedom and flexibility. These are the two big reasons for moms, especially moms with young children, to start their own business. They can work from home, choose their own hours and have the flexibility to juggle their work life with their family life.
Women need to have clarity about what drives them and what they want to accomplish with their business. Please post comments on what’s motivated you to start your own business.
Let’s face it, with the recent trends in the economy many of us need something to provide financial breathing room. For many moms direct sales is the way to go because it gives us the ability to meet our own financial goals – whether that’s a few hundred dollars a month or a more substantial income.
The problem is there are over 30 industries and hundreds of companies represented in direct sales, so how do you decide which one meets your needs and your personality? Where can you learn about your options?
Then there are women who’ve found a great direct sales company but they can’t seem to get their business off the ground. These women want to move beyond selling products to their sister or close friends and make it a truly profitable business.
Join me…I’m hosting a panel discussion in my local community here in Connecticut that will help women determine the best work-at-home option for them personally and how to be successful with it. This promises to be a fun networking event and an opportunity to hear from women who are working just a few hours a week to women who are working full-time in companies like Arbonne, Send Out Cards, Silpada, Hello World and CAbi.
This event will allow women to learn more about their options and find out what exactly is involved in establishing a successful home-based business. This event is scheduled for Sunday December 14th from 2:00 – 4:30 pm in Woodbridge, CT. For more information or to register.
I find it very inspirational to learn from famous women entrepreneurs. There is a pattern that emerges when you take a look at what these diverse women entrepreneurs have in common—women like Mary Kay Ash, Anita Roddick and Debbi Fields. I found three things these famous women entrepreneurs knew and demonstrated about success that I’ve found critical in my life as an entrepreneur.
1. Believe in Yourself
Mary Kay Ash quote: "Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember you can achieve."
I love this quote because the right mindset is the number one determining factor of success in business and in life. I frequently speak about the importance of having a healthy mindset. In fact, I’ve dedicated the entire first section in my Direct Sales Success System to mindset because it’s really the foundation of success. To believe in yourself you have to let go of “limiting” beliefs. A limiting belief is something that you believe to be true about yourself that is not true and it prevents you from moving forward.
2. Have a Support System
Anita Roddick quote: "We entrepreneurs are loners, vagabonds, troublemakers. Success is simply a matter of finding and surrounding ourselves with those open-minded and clever souls who can take our insanity and put it to good use."
What I appreciate about this quote is its self-awareness. Although, I don’t necessarily agree that all entrepreneurs are loners, vagabonds or troublemakers, I do believe that we all have strengths and weaknesses. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned since starting Metromom is that you can’t do it alone. But, you can achieve amazing things when you build a team and leverage each other’s strengths.
3. Be of Service
Debbi Fields Quote: “The principle was right there – you couldn’t miss it. The more you did for your customers, the more they did for us.”
You can see from this quote that her focus was never just on a single sale, it was about creating a long-term meaningful relationship with her customers. When you step out of your own personal focus and begin asking how you can be of service to others, you embark on the path to success.
Whether or not you want to be famous, believing in yourself, having a support system and being of service will help you be a more successful and happier entrepreneur. Yes, there is much that we can learn from these famous women entrepreneurs.
As entrepreneurial moms, working on our own, we don’t have a boss looking over our shoulder. This means we have to motivate ourselves. Staying in an open-minded, positive place is crucial to our success.
With that in mind I wanted to share a few Mindset "gems". These are gems I’ve used myself and were reinforced at my recent Mindset Retreat with Fabienne Fredrickson.
1. Start your day with time for yourself, before your kids and definitely before your business. Set the tone for your day. Ideally journal, read your intention statement, read from a book that has uplifting messages, listen to a guided meditation, or exercise listening to something motivational.
2. Be purposeful about the life you’re creating. Know what you want, when you want it and how you want it. Personally, my goal is to do what I want, when I want with whom I want.
3. Embrace change. If you’re not happy with the results you’re getting, something’s got to change. Recognize that the change starts with your thoughts.
4. Make a decision that you want to make a change. The strength and conviction of that decision will set your intention out into the universe.
5. Step into the fear. When we’re scared of something we procrastinate taking action. The key is to step into the fear => make the call, write the article, sign-up for the program. When I’m scared to do something, that’s my sign that it’s what I need to do to move forward. If I do it first thing, the rest of the day flows.
6. Notice your feelings and use them as your barometer for what you’re thinking. Catch yourself quickly when you find your energy lagging, or your thoughts going into a less than positive place.
7. Do something that causes you to shift to a more positive vibration – hug your child, listen to music, change your environment, call a friend, take a shower, or go for a walk-whatever works for you. Staying in a funk doesn’t serve you or your business.
Those are just a few gems. I promise I have a lot more to share on Mindset. In fact, an entire section of my upcoming Direct Sales Success System addresses this subject because it’s truly the key to success in direct sales (and really any entrepreneurial venture). The bottom line is that with a clear intention of what you want and why you want it, you’ll be able to achieve your financial goals. Not only that, you’ll have fun in the process.
Listen to Robin Hardy interviewing me about these 7 Mindset Gems.
I’ve collected some of my favorite mindset lessons and consolidated them into a short eBook – The Motivated Mindset. Please check it out and share the impact you gain from making small daily shifts.
Networking can be fun and it can be intimidating, it all starts with your mindset. Compare these two mindsets:
"I have to network for my business, meet lots of people and collect lots of business cards."
"Getting out there and "networking" can be a pleasant experience if I approach it with the desire to connect meaningfully. I can remove the pain and pressure for a transaction to occur."
The difference here is the focus. Are you focused on collecting or connecting? Understanding the difference between these two concepts will allow you to remove the stress and pressure from this key business activity.
If your focus in collecting (or traditional networking):
If your focus is on connecting:
Have you ever wondered how to get BEYOND networking and truly connect with potential customers and partners?
Once a month I have a Power Call for the gold members of our Metromom community. This month I interviewed Lynn Ciecierski , my fantastic web designer, about “The Five Steps to Promoting Yourself Effectively Online.” More and more women are doing their home-based work online. Lynn shared a lot of great information and techniques that can give you a decided competitive edge. One of the questions we addressed was whether women in direct sales need their own website.
This question comes up because many of the women are in direct sales businesses are working with companies that often provide a self-replicating website. The problem with these websites is that they are incredibly generic–they don’t reflect their personality.
Lynn said she highly recommended that you have your own website. You’re competing with a lot of people who are offering the same products and services you are. To stand out especially online, you want to establish a relationship with the person right away. You need a site that allows people the chance to get to know you with photos, audio and effective content.
If you do have your company’s self-replicating website, I recommend that you direct people to your own personal website, so they can get a sense of who you are. On your personal site you can then offer a link to your company’s website. The two can certainly work together.
I’d love to hear from you on how using your own personal website has impacted your business. Feel free to share your comments.
