My good friend Gina Bell interviewed me as part of her series on How Does She Do It? Here’s a copy of our interview.

How long have you been in business online? 2 years

Tell us about your business. Who do you love to work with? My ideal client is the motivated entrepreneur who’s got lots of great ideas but gets stuck getting them from their head into the marketplace. As the “Get it Done Girl” I love supporting that person via live coaching, interactive classes and informational products to implement their ideas and take action. The benefit to them in working with me is they get the tools to Get it Done which allows them to make the money they want, serve the client they want and make the difference they know they can make. (more…)

Most women begin as entrepreneurs because of a passion and a desire for a certain lifestyle.  We know we have something of value to share with our communities, so we pour our hearts into getting our wisdom out there and using our gifts to generate the revenue that we want and need.

However, haven’t you had times when you’re doing all the right things (the marketing, the writing, the speaking etc.) and you still feel stuck?  You feel like you’re not getting where you want to go?

I know I have.

And, what I’ve found to be the issue is rarely the external circumstances but something deep inside.  Something that’s keeping me smaller than I know I want to be.

Limiting beliefs are what you believe to be true about yourself but really aren’t true at all.  Maybe you’ve got beliefs that that you’re the fat girl, or that other people make money, not you, or that to make X happen you have to do Y,

Your thinking gets in your way. It stops you from taking the next step. It’s the limiting beliefs that we think about ourselves, that we rarely share, and may not even know consciously know, that keep us small.

Truth is, if you’re not getting where you want to go, the best place to look is in the mirror.  This is a challenge that we as entrepreneurs face since the growth of our business is dependent on how we’re being and presenting ourselves to others.

How can you shift your thinking from the negative to the positive so that your energies and efforts are lined up to grow your business and connect with more people?

(more…)

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 entrepreneurs, most of us are doing businesses on our own. Many of us, however, long for the support that a joint venture partnership provides. I believe there is so much more that can be done when we work and bring our strengths together in a joint venture. The question is – how do you create a partnership that works for both of you, as well as the communities you’re serving?

I interviewed Gina Bell, a friend of mine and the founder of GinaBellInc.com, for some tips on how to collaborate effectively and profitably. I want to share with you how you can find the “right” partner for your business and start an enjoyable and prosperous joint venture.

 

 Joint Ventures - How to Collaborate Effectively and Profitably [Metromom Podcast] [5:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Every once in awhile a joint venture partner will just fall in your lap. But, that’s not the norm. More often it requires a little more effort if you’re looking to find the “right” partner.

My first suggestion is to get out there and connect. It’s extremely critical to become more visible. You need to grow your network among like-minded people. To create a successful joint venture, you want to connect with people who are moving in a similar direction, share a similar goal and common interests.

I’m really happy to say that quite a few joint venture partnerships have blossomed among Metromom members and from entrepreneurs that have participated in my interactive coaching programs. These partnerships work because not only do they have a lot in common, but they’re working towards similar goals.

The next step is building your credibility and trust. You can build credibility by following up with your promises. You build trust by having the intention of giving and serving others. Your intention is, “How can I help you?” rather than “What can I get from you?”

Building trust and credibility takes time and doesn’t happen overnight. My friend Gina Bell shared that, “If you’re trying to go straight to profitability, it’s like proposing marriage on the first date. It just doesn’t work.”

Next, your joint venture need to be a win-win-win, which means it’s good for you, your partner, AND your clients and prospects. Often the missing piece is knowing how it’s going to benefit the customers and new clients you want to serve. However, if you’re clear on the benefits for everyone involved, the odds are very high that you’re going to have a profitable outcome for your joint venture.

Finally, don’t be afraid to lead and motivate your partners. People are busy. So don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and make some reminders. This can be the difference between a joint venture being spectacular and failing. Don’t be afraid to give your joint venture partners a gentle nudge.

Bottom line? The key to being successful in a joint venture partnership is having faith, being of service to others, being of value to others in your network and finding ways for everybody to win.

I’d love to hear your experiences about positive or negative joint ventures you’ve created. Please share your comments.

As entrepreneurs, most of us are doing businesses on our own. Many of us, however, long for the support that a joint venture partnership provides. Women especially need and want to collaborate with others (however men really benefit as well).

I believe there is so much more that can be done when we work and bring our strengths together in a joint venture. The question is – how do you create a partnership that works for both of you, as well as the communities you’re serving?

I interviewed Gina Bell, a friend of mine and the founder of GinaBellInc.com, for some tips on how to collaborate effectively and profitably. I want to share with you a few gems from that call.

So what is a joint venture?

A joint venture is an agreement or alliance between two or more people. Most of time these partnerships make sense when you share a target market. For example, Gina and I discovered that we share a target market of entrepreneurial women. The key is that the joint venture must benefit everybody involved.

Here are a few different ways to collaborate in a joint venture:

1. Share intellectual property
2. Combine methods to create a product or service
3. Share assets
4. Share the expense hiring a virtual assistant
5. Have an agreement to share knowledge
6. Share profits

How do you find someone you would enjoy working with and who has similar goals as you do? In my next blog, I’ll share with you 4 steps on how to get a joint venture started and how to keep it working well for everyone concerned.

Are you ready to learn the nuts and bolts of joint venture partnerships? Check out the upcoming Get It Done Challenge starting on January 21st. You’ll receive the support and wisdom you need to create your own joint venture. And quite possibly you’ll meet that fellow entrepreneur who is the “right” match for your business.

I am honored to be participating in Gina Bell’s How Does She Do It? Tele-Series happening October 16th and 17th.

This thought-provoking interview series exposes the comparison trap as it relates to “success” stereotypes and draws attention to how our knee-jerk reaction to compare ourselves to others or to “model success” the wrong way sabotages authenticity and confidence.

The series also reveals the top five challenges that women in business online commonly face and directs the how does she do it question to these relevant topics with the intention of protecting your authenticity.

“How Does She Do It?” is a common question we wonder when success appears so effortless for others and we’re not getting the results we want. But, it’s when we look externally for validation and confirmation that our ideas have value that self-doubt can be triggered and we fall into the trap.

So, are you ready to join us in drawing a line in the sand?

Are you ready to break free from the cookie-cutter/copycat approach to modeling success so you can create success your way, authentically and with confidence?

I’m proud to be one of 16 successful women (such as Carla Young, Mary Pat Kavanaugh, Laura West, Shannon Cherry and Marie Forleo, to name a few) who are speaking up to reveal our own experiences with comparison. Our goal is to provide valuable insight, share lessons learned and inspire you to take YOUR next steps all from a caring and supportive approach that protects your authenticity.

The tele-series starts October 16th at 10 AM EST and you can listen to the interviews FREE when you register at http://bit.ly/1wpo0R.

Women entrepreneurs often have the best idea, great marketing strategies, and effective systems in place, but they still feel stuck. Does that sound familiar? You can’t get any momentum. If this is the case, limiting beliefs may be holding you back…

My definition of a limiting belief is something that you believe to be true about yourself (that really is NOT true) and it prevents you from moving forward as you’d like.

These limiting beliefs have been internalized, often times from childhood. You believe them to be as true as the sky is blue and the grass is green. That’s how you function in the world. It’s not until you challenge that belief and focus on a more conscious level that you can see it isn’t in fact true at all.

Let me share with you an example of a limiting belief that held me back for years. I am a big believer in collaboration…but that wasn’t always the case. When I was a little girl, I was constantly told how important it was that I be independent and self-sufficient. My father loved telling me all the great things I could do as an independent woman from travel to business adventures.

As great as many of his messages were, they ironically held me back. For many years, I was so focused on him being right, which meant I must be independent, and not let others in to provide support. I was a one-woman show, as if to be anything less would have been a disappointment. I even had an old boyfriend tell me he felt like I could live on a deserted island!

Now, as I’ve gotten older and wiser, I’ve been able to examine how this belief doesn’t serve me and let it go. That means I can now delegate, partner and reach out to others.

When you work on your personal growth you will undoubtedly see your business grow exponentially. I know for myself I have experienced this time and time again. Every single time I clear through some of my own issues, I surge forward. It’s as if the limiting belief was a noose around my neck holding me back.

Here are some limiting belief examples that can really affect women entrepreneurs. Have you ever found yourself thinking…?

• I don’t know enough.
• I can’t do this.
• Who would want what I have to offer?
• I can’t earn as much as I’d like.
• I’m not motivated enough.
• I’m not as good as the next person.
• I don’t really deserve to make money.

Identify your limiting beliefs.

I’ve found that the first step is tuning in to your unconscious mind and listening to what it’s telling you. For example, many of us struggle with the belief that we can’t earn money because we haven’t earned it in the past, that’s a limiting belief. The result of this belief is most likely you’re going to make it a reality by not earning money this time around either.

Many times we are unaware of our limiting beliefs. Gina Bell gave some great advice on identifying and overcoming limiting beliefs in her call “Not Sure You Can Succeed? Get a Believability Makeover!”

Gina shared that although we can’t always control the negative inner chatter, we can recognize it for what it is. She recommended writing or journaling as a great way to flush out the limiting beliefs that we might not realize exist in our own mind.

In an upcoming post I’ll share some great tips on shifting limiting beliefs into supportive beliefs. I also wanted to let you know how much I’ve been enjoying a great discussion about limiting beliefs in our Metromom forum (Connection Café). The Connection Café is available to members of the Metromom Community – if you’re not a member of Metromom’s community – please click here to join.

I just finished recording my Wrap-Up call for the Metromom Online Success Telesummit where I shared my highlights. It’s been a fascinating two weeks as I interviewed 18 different internet marketing experts who shared tips on how to maximize your online presence.

I think what I found the most interesting was how the expertise of the different speakers weaved together. In the end I discovered consistent references to what it takes to be successful in today’s economy.

Let me share some of my highlights of the four online success principle I discovered:

1. You Need to be Authentic

One theme that kept coming up from was 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. Laura West then really pulled this authenticity theme together when she spoke about “Attraction Marketing.”

2. Make Sure You Use Every Avenue to Connect

Jennifer Odear and Caleb Scoville really helped clarify how you can maximize your expertise by using all the different ways of communicating. Jennifer spoke about recycling your content and using it in your blog, articles, press releases, newsletters and more. Then Caleb shared how to take that very same content and use it in podcasts and YouTube videos.

What’s great is that once you have some content there are so many ways to get it out there. Alicia Forest gave great tips on using content to build your list. Amy Miyamoto showed how to tie your content into your social networking, Shannon Cherry shared publicity tips and Ty Downing shared easy-to-implement SEO ideas.

3. Women Need Foolproof Systems

Busy women juggling a business and a family need more then great ideas. They need help implementing proven systems that will get the money pouring in. Beth Schneider and Erin Blaskie gave fantastic tips on how to build a solid team and then create systems to keep things running smoothly. Jennifer Haubein shared how technology can help you set-up a website that helps you build relationships effortlessly. Debbye Cannon shared tips specific to moms on how to keep their family thriving as they build their business.

4. Get Your Mindset Prepared for Success

No amount of internet marketing strategies will help you achieve your goals if you’re stuck with a negative attitude or mindset. Victoria Colligan and Traci Long , from Ladies Who Launch, were truly inspirational as they shared how to take the next step in your business. Gina Bell shared how to identify and eliminate resistance to self-promotion and success.

The Metromom Online Success Telesummit (now called The Online Success Toolkit) is available for you to listen to. Click here to learn more! Once you listen I’d love to hear your feedback so come back and post your comments. What were some of the highlights for you?

When I started planning my Metromom Online Success Telesummit I was torn on whether to focus exclusively on marketing techniques or to expand it to include mindset tips as well. Then I realized that no amount of learning will help you achieve your goals if you’re stuck with a negative attitude or mindset. That’s why I created the final track of the Telesummit to be about – How to Put It All Together With the Right Mindset.

I’m really excited to have two fantastic speakers from Ladies Who Launch join me for this track of the Telesummit: Victoria Colligan, the Founder of Ladies Who Launch, is one of my personal heroines. If you’re hesitating about taking the next step in your business make sure you listen to this call on, 7 Steps to Realizing Any Dream.

Traci Long the Chief Revenue Officer of Ladies Who Launch specializes in competitive marketing positioning. She’ll get you motivated and then show you how to execute your plan during her talk on Building the Foundation of your Brand to be a Lucrative Business. Traci will show us how building your brand isn’t just about your logo and your tagline.

I’m also really happy to have two of my “business” girlfriends sharing mindset tips at the Telesummit:

Laura West, the founder of Center for Joyful Business, specializes in supporting women entrepreneurs in creating a business that is meaningful AND that makes money! She makes marketing simple and takes the confusion and fear out of promoting your business with integrity and grace. I’m really looking forward to her talk on, Attracting Clients and Building Strong Relationships: 5 Easy Attraction Marketing Tools

According to my friend, Gina Bell, “Belief is the bridge between your dreams and your dreams come true!” Gina is the co-Founder of TheNetworkingMasters.com and creator of JVmavens.com. Hers passion is to work with motivated entrepreneurs who are ready to identify and eliminate their resistance to self-promotion and success. If you feel stuck, you’ll love her talk, Not Sure You Can Succeed? Get a Believability Makeover!

I honestly believe that the right mindset is the number one determining factor of success in business and in life. Which why I can’t express how grateful I am that these four wonderful women have agreed to share their “mindset gems” at the Telesummit. Especially now, it can be challenging to stay positive. It’s easy to become negative when faced with negative influences in our life – be it a skeptical friend or family member or the never-ending media cycle of more and more bad news.

If you feel like you could benefit from some positive (and practical) encouragement please join me and listen in on these calls May 1^st and 2^nd – there is no charge to participate in the Metromom Online Success Telesummit.