Entrepreneurs – especially women – get into business to provide value, make money and have fun in the process. And everything we read, hear and see convinces us that we made the right choice. But the part that’s rarely discussed is the “dark side” of entrepreneurship.

What I mean by that is the isolation we feel, or spending too much time looking at what others are doing and losing yourself in the process, and the stress of external voices questioning when you are finally going to make it.

You can’t ignore the dark side, however, there are much healthier ways to address these issues so you can move forward.

My business girlfriend Laura West, founder of Center for Joyful Business shares tools that I just love for creating awareness and shifting your energy quickly. The following suggestions come from an article she wrote on this topic:

• Morning and Evening Journaling – This doesn’t have to involve pages of witty writing. A simple list of what’s happening and how you feel will do. This reminds you to check in with your mindset, thoughts and emotions. Creating awareness of what’s going on for you twice a day will reinforce the importance of checking in with yourself. The awareness alone will create shifts in your energy and ability to shift into a more life-enhancing place if you need to.

• Conscious Breathing – Whenever you notice that you feel anxious and the gremlin is having a chat party inside, just the simple act of breathing consciously can help shift your energy. Consciously and in a relaxed way (not forced) – breathe in to receive, and breathe out to release.

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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?

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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.

Laura West, the founder of Center for Joyful Business has been going through a big transformation lately. In our interview she shares how her partaking in a physical cleanse (which resulted in her much lighter energy) led to a business cleanse where she was able to let go and open up for more good to come through.

 

 @joyfulbiz - Laura West - In the Spotlight - Cleansing Your Business [25:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My business girlfriend Laura West wrote a great article about creating more visibility and credibility to easily attract more clients my interacting authentically that I really want to share with you.

The real secret behind successful marketing is realizing that marketing is really about building relationships. As you promote yourself to potential clients you are really building their interest and their understanding of what you do and their trust in you in that you can help them with a solution to their problem.

Part of this relationship building experience is to increase your visibility so you get noticed and build your credibility, so that they view you as a specialist in a certain area. Many people call this being a "rock star" in your market. As a conscious entrepreneur I know that most of you are more modest and rock star makes you cringe. I like to call it creating "Celebrity with Integrity." You are creating "celebrity exposure" in your small market and doing it with integrity and a real sense of connection.

Creating "Celebrity with Integrity" can be fun, and the great thing is that all your efforts build on one another. You are creating a tipping point where your attraction marketing actions build and attract in bigger and bigger measurements.

It can start out slowly and easily with a few small steps, such as sharing client stories and photos from a workshop you attended. The steps get bigger – as you gain confidence, clarity and embrace your creativity. You’ll start being featured in other people’s newsletters, ezines and blogs. Then the energy of your "visibility & credibility" strategies gain momentum and you start to gain leaps in your results. Soon you are posting pictures with "famous people" in your market and successful clients.

Initially as you start, the first people who notice are your current clients. They always want to know what you are up to since they are already working with you. They like to know that they are working with a successful person. The second group of people who notice are your colleagues. You’ll start receiving kudos, emails, posts of congratulations on Facebook and shining star messages.

Then you’ll notice that there is an immediate layer of people around you who are potential clients. You haven’t worked with them yet but they are noticing everything you do. They are paying attention. I call them the "flirts." They’ll congratulate you on a speaking engagement or a recent award and you can tell that they are taking note.

What starts out as a step-by-step strategy to build your list and gain visibility can quickly start tipping into a big wave of results including:
•    Fans
•    Flirters or potential clients
•    Clients who want a small taste of what you have to offer (like a book or ezine)
•    Clients who are ready to invest

You’ll also start receiving invitations for more opportunities to promote yourself by participating in:
•    Products
•    Teleseminars
•    Events
•    Contributing articles
•    Contributing to collaborative books

It really is pretty fun – especially when it comes from your heart! Although many of us go through a period of frustration at the beginning. Something like, "I’m doing the marketing right, why isn’t it working?!" I know this question well as I was there a couple of years ago. I felt I was the poster child for perfect internet marketing. Now, you can see the wave of momentum by how busy my inbox is!

Marketing is a process, not a one time event. You don’t put it out there and it’s done. You are always tweaking your message. You are always getting clearer about your niche and your offering by listening to what works and what doesn’t work. Then tweak again. More – "Rinse and Repeat." This means you keep marketing consistently.

What is your "Celebrity with Integrity" strategy for this week? What’s one photo, testimonial, or client story you could share on your blog, ezine or Facebook to let your potential clients know that you are up to big things?

This article was written by Laura Howard West. She is and award-winning online entrepreneur and president of The Center for Joyful Business. If you are ready to shift your marketing and mindset for more success with joy and ease, get your free report: Business Attraction Success Kit

One of the best parts of being in business for myself is getting to work with people that I love and who bring great amounts of joy and value into my life. Laura West, the founder of the Center for Joyful Business,  has become a very special friend and business supporter in my life. We like to call ourselves business girlfriends.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve led 3 different classes together, and had a great time in the process – both in the preparation and the actual interaction on the calls. (You can still check them out, if you’ve not already heard them).

• Taking Charge of Your Economy: 5 Steps on How to Use the Internet to Prosper and Profit (a preview call for my Telesummit last week).
• 5 Easy Attraction Marketing Tools to Build Strong Relationships and Attract Amazing Clients (that we discussed at the Telesummit) :
• 5 Most Powerful Attraction Marketing Secrets To Help You Embrace your Authentic Marketing Style (for my membership community)

I also want to share with you Laura’s first video in which she discusses one of her Joyful Business exercises – the “I Wonder” Game. She created this video for her own blog but I thought the information she shared was so great that I wanted to incorporate it into mine. (thanks Laura)

As well, Laura interviewed me for her Joyful Business Podcast series. You can visit her blog to listen.

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.

For two days (48 hours total) on Friday May 1st and Saturday May 2nd, 18 speakers will share their wisdom about taking your online business to the next level. Not only is the content incredibly “how-to” focused but it’s F^REE. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from speakers such as Nancy Marmolejo, Michele PW, Victoria Colligan, Shannon Cherry, Alicia Forest, Laura West, Gina Bell & more. Enjoy the video and learn more by visiting this page.

Learn more by visiting: http://MetromomTelesummit.com

According to a recent article in Time magazine men make up 82% of the recession’s job losses, which means a lot more women are looking for work to make up for the lost paycheck. The problem is there are not a lot of jobs to be found… so more than ever women want and need ideas on how to start their own profitable business.

Thankfully the internet gives us options! There are five steps you MUST know in order to grow your business online AND maximize your time and energy:

-How to Create Effective Design & Motivating Content
-How to Increase Visibility, Buzz, and Revenue
-How to Streamline Your Digital Back Office
-How to Put It All Together With the Right Mindset
-How to Get the Support You Need to Keep Moving Forward

A lot of us are feeling pressure to generate the income we need but we’re not sure the best way to go about it. On Tuesday April 21st, my business girlfriend Laura West and I will be sharing how to use the internet to take control of your income and how to do it quickly during their one-time-only FREE teleseminar!

"Take Charge of Your Economy – 5 Steps on How to Use the Internet to Prosper and Profit," will be April 21st at 2 PM Eastern. All you need is a phone. Reserve your space here.

This is a FREE preview call for the Metromom Online Success Telesummit, taking place May 1st and 2nd.  #mtmm09