I’m just wrapping up the filming of my first pilot of Get it Done, Get it Back with Susie Shina. We are creating the pilot of a reality-based show where we help a mom entrepreneur (aka Metromom) work through a business struggle and a lifestyle struggle.

Within Metromom, I coach women to bring out that brilliance from their business.  Susie works with women to restore their bodies, restyle their lives and reconnect with a passion for ‘the other stuff’.  So we figured that together we bring true balance for working girls!

We see this new show as a cross between Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Nanny-911.  Our vision is to makeover one woman’s most burning struggle in her business and one struggle in her life in one 22-minute show.  We would uncover specific challenges most working moms face and offer very real, doable solutions…taking the featured woman from overwhelmed and dissatisfied to taking that big sigh of relief.

This whole experience has been such a fun example of our getting it done. Susie and I are both complete “newbies” when it comes to putting together a TV show! But we had a great idea, great passion, and are ready to rely on the support and guidance of an amazing producer to take us through this process.

Here are the steps I took that got me here…

· I was told by an intuitive that I must attend the National Publicity Summit last October to get more into the spotlight. I trusted her and plunked down my credit card.

· Through the Summit I met Susie Shina and immediately knew we had a great chemistry. We brainstormed how we could collaborate and the idea of a “reality TV show” hit us.

· Susie and I got together and created 2 quick videos to communicate our idea. You can see them below. One’s our real pitch, the other is the funny outtakes that we just had to include.

· Then we approached a producer we’d both connected with. She loved our idea and agreed to produce our first pilot.

· We reached out to connections, including social networking friends, for help in finding a "Metromom" we could work with in Phoenix.

· We got off our butts, arranged for childcare and booked our flights to shoot the pilot!

For me, the reason this project has been so much fun is because I’ve  thoroughly enjoyed the process and the lack of personal agenda. I’m not attached to any outcome of what occurs – be it internet TV, real TV or no TV. I know goodness will come from this, whatever the result, even if it’s just a great experience connecting with great people. Sometimes you just have to show up fully, have fun, have faith, and follow your instincts about the people you work with.  Where will this all lead? I don’t know but I do know that this is part of a great path. I’ll keep you posted!

Pitch Idea

Outtakes

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!

Every mom can appreciate the extra stress of summer vacation but for work at home moms it can be even more challenging. Most of us can’t afford to put our businesses on hold for three months. So what can help us manage our business while we still enjoy the summer with our kids?

Here are some summer vacation tips that I’ve found helpful:

Banish Guilt – Don’t waste your summer feeling guilty. You can’t do it all (be it every work project and every activity with your children) so for your own sanity stop expecting yourself to. Focus instead on being grateful. The gratitude stems from acknowledging your opportunity to work from home and run a business that brings your joy and income while spending quality time (even if it’s not tons of quantity) with your children.

Focus on Your Priorities – Since you can’t do it all it’s important to have real clarity about which projects you’re going to focus on, so your work is streamlined. Personally, I’m using the summer to focus on two key projects – my new Get It Done Coaching program and my Telesummit Blueprint System. With my kids at home much more than during the school year, my focus is either on them or one of those projects. Summer’s not a good time to take on other activities that don’t matter. Wait until fall, set clear boundaries for yourself, and say NO to what doesn’t support you.

Plan Activities -Take a look at classes and camps that are available during the summer. I’ll be honest here, I’ve usually sent my children to camp but this year, with my husband being out of work, the decision to send them to camp had us in a quandary. Can we afford to send them to camp? Can we afford NOT to send them to camp since we got a lot less work done with them at home during the day? (We opted for sending them a little less than previous years).

If you decide to forego a summer camp, there are usually activities in your local area like swim, tennis or art classes. This does require driving time but it will give you and your kids a little break from each other. You may also want to trade play dates with other moms or get grandparents to take the kids on some special outings.

Develop a New Routine - Figure out what work schedule supports you best during the summer. Maybe you’ll want to get an earlier start or stay up late so you take advantage of the time your kids are sleeping later (if they do that). I’ve been bringing my laptop onto my porch so I can watch them outside when they play. Kids are more likely to cooperate if they know what to expect ahead of time. For example, will your kids cooperate if they can count on you working just until noon everyday and taking them swimming afterwards?

Put Them To Work – Get your kids involved in your business. This is a special advantage for work at home moms. Kids think this is fun and they’re more likely to be supportive of your business if they’re involved! My kids help ship out my monthly membership CDs and absolutely love using my postage meter. It’s all just a matter of thinking what tasks are age appropriate and fun for them.

Limit Screen Time – Be strategic about screen time - which includes TV, movies, computer and video games. Sometimes it’s okay… but it shouldn’t be the only option available to your kids. Instead make a visit to the crafts store for art supplies or go to the library so everyone always has something new to read. For littler kids, find or buy some building toys (like Legos) and make a “dress up box” with some of your old clothes.

Let Them Be Bored – Finally, resist the temptation to rescue the kids when they say they’re bored. In our busy on-the-go world we sometimes forget that boredom often leads to creativity. Let them know you have confidence in their ability to figure out how to spend their time.

I hope you find these summer vacation tips helpful. As hectic or frustrated as you might feel, summer usually flies by! Be grateful for the flexibility you have as a work at home mom and enjoy this special time to bond with your kids. Jump in the pool with them, ride bikes or grab a book and read under a tree!

Are you a work at home mom with some tips on how to survive and enjoy summer vacation? Please share!

Metromom’s Relationship Expert Dr. Patty Ann Tublin shares more tips for surviving summer break in the Metromom Connection Café – click here to read more or feel free to ask your own question. (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.)

How would like to increase your business and reach more people? I want to share with you something that I’ve found to be very effective as a mom entrepreneur in my business, leveraged marketing.

Leveraged marketing is all about repurposing content you already have and transforming it into other forms of media. It’s a simple and easy way to get your message out there to a larger audience. I found this to be a critical component to marketing because people take in information in different ways. Some people love to read. While other people prefer to listen or watch.

You want to be able to touch people in different ways and give them a sense of who you are. It’s one thing to explain who you are in written form. It’s a very different thing when someone gets to hear you in audio and see you in video. That can have a much stronger impact.

The beauty of the repurposing concept is it makes creating audio and video so easy to do! You can turn something you have written and transform it into audio or video. I do this with each of my ezines. I record it and turn it into a podcast. It takes just a few minutes and I now have a substantial collection of podcasts. I’ve also taken one of my popular information products, The 7 Deadly Sins Women in Direct Sales Make…and How to Avoid Them, and transformed the content into a series of instructional videos on YouTube. The options are really endless – and fun!

This is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to leveraged marketing. To learn how you can be an expert at repurposing content, download my interview with Caleb Scoville, founder of North Bank Audio. He explains how we can easily repurpose content that will pull in targeted leads and customers like a magnet. He shares a wealth of information in our interview, “Leveraging Your Knowledge: Repurpose the Content That’s in Your Head (or on Your Hard Drive) into Powerful Multimedia Marketing.”

If you have been successful in repurposing information, I’d love to hear your tips as well!

Congratulations to Teresa Shepp for winning the Metromom Website Contest! Teresa is the mom of three boys under the age of six starting a business on a shoestring budget. But she has a vision! She wants a web site that will give her the ability to sell information products, training courses, and consulting/coaching services.

Jennifer Haubein and I had a hard time deciding on a winner because we had so many great candidates. We were presented with some really amazing ideas – from baby products, to party planners, to coaches… It was truly inspirational!

Then, the frustration hit me. Too many mom entrepreneurs are stuck because they have great ideas and no budget. I couldn’t award them all with a free website but I do have some advice…

First, if you need a new or upgraded website make sure to sign-up and reserve your spot for our live webinar! Jennifer Haubein and I will be hosting a live webinar on Tuesday July 21st at 8PM EST where Jennifer will build Teresa Shepp’s site in just one hour!

At this webinar, Jennifer promises to reveal to you her secrets…

- How you can get out of overwhelm and quickly take your business online
- Show you how to easily create your f*r*ee offer and why this is so important for attracting customers.
- The one thing you can easily add to your website to double your sales and conversions!
- How to let your website do the work so you can stop working so hard

My second piece of advice is to do something. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity. Take some action and keep moving forward. If you can’t afford a graphic designer, how about a free template? If you can’t afford a website, how about a blog?

Finally, reach out to other Metromom’s in our Connection Café and get advice on steps you can take to get your business off the ground, despite your shoestring budget. You might be surprised at the problem-solving that goes on when you reach out to other mom entrepreneurs.

(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 want to share a little bit about what’s transpired over this last year since I launched Metromom. It’s just one year ago that I put 1,000 letters into the mailbox setting them free for the world to hear about my exciting new launch.

I remember that it was one year ago because it’s the day that we were leaving for Martha’s Vineyard., and we always leave the week before July 4^th. At 4:30 in the morning, my daughter and I stood before a mailbox and said a beautiful prayer as we set these 1,000 letters out into the universe. I was letting my friends and family know my vision, and I was beginning a thrilling journey..

It’s interesting to reflect on the words I used to describe a Metromom – a “driven, evolving woman” – because I see how my business has been evolving from the very beginning. There have been a few major shifts (or maybe leap is the better word) along the way I’d like to share with you…

Leap #1 – Opening my doors to a wider community

In that letter I sent out a year ago I explained how I’d created an online community – The Metromom Direct Sales Association – for all women in direct sales businesses to receive training, promote themselves, and connect with other like-minded women. But within a month, I was receiving queries from women who were not in direct sales. They were approaching me saying, “I’m a graphic designer.” “I’m a realtor.” “I’m a coach.” “I’m not in a direct sales business, but I really love what you’re doing. I’d love to be a part of what you’re doing. Would that be possible?”

Another thing happened at this same time. I received a letter from the Direct Selling Association of Washington, DC. They were not happy with the association name I’d chosen – The Metromom Direct Sales Association. They thought I was infringing on their name. I spoke with my lawyer who said, “Kim, we probably could fight it, but is it worth it?” that was an eye-opening moment for me. I thought, “You know what? I really would love to serve entrepreneurial women in general.”

I happily gave up the name of The Metromom Direct Sales Association and swapped it for The Metromom Entrepreneur’s Association. The time had come to open my doors to a wider community of women.

Leap #2 – Acknowledging my voice as a mom

When I first launched Metromom, I had a male coach who said, “Kim, I don’t really get it. Every time you talk about your company called Metromom, you talk about women, but you never use the word ‘mom’ in the description. Why are you not using the word ‘mom’? Your company is MetroMOM.” I had excuses but no good answer at the time.

I soon realized that I can’t look at the world any other way than as an entrepreneurial mom. I have three kids and everything that I do is based on how I want it to work for me as a woman juggling my business and my children. My experiences are now colored through the eyes of a mother’s lenses. I don’t know how to do it any differently and more importantly I realized that I don’t want to do it any differently.

The truth is I don’t exclude women who are not moms from joining Metromom, but the voice with which I speak is going to be that of one who is a true Metromom, a driven mother looking to balance her work and family on her own terms. Once I stepped into that place, all of a sudden my writing was more fun and more authentic. In fact I was creating A LOT of content which leads to another shift…

Leap #3 – Time to become THE resource for mom entrepreneurs

About six months after going live my web designer approached me and said, “Kim, you know what? I know we just designed this great site, but I think it needs to change again. You’ve got so much content and so much available to these women, but it’s kind of hard to find. It’s buried within the site. I’d really love to see you feature more people in your role as a connector and get all your great resource material out in front.”

I had honestly never envisioned that. Who would’ve thought of me as the content queen especially when writing isn’t easy for me? With the help of my collaborative copywriter, I really had become a huge resource for content on marketing, mindset and motherhood. We set about to re-launch the site creating a much different, interactive, content-rich site than it was back in July of 2008.

Leap #4 – The “Get It Done Girl” emerges

When I initially launched Metromom, part of the vision for me was to reflect how much I enjoy connecting with other women. I felt really comfortable in my role as a great “connector”. Through some pretty great coaching I experienced back in February, I was also able to acknowledge that I’m also an incredible “implementer”. I really do get things done quickly.

I emerged from that coaching session as the “Get It Done Girl”. I stepped into that and owned it. All of a sudden I realized my language started to shift. A good friend of mine said, “Kim, I feel like your DNA has shifted, your whole posture has changed.”

With this renewed sense of confidence I was able to tackle some monumental tasks. The first one was implementing my site redesign. I didn’t know how to execute it but I had great clarity about the experience I wanted my visitors to have and I pulled together brilliant people who knew how to implement my ideas.

I was simultaneously putting together the Metromom Online Success Telesummit that went live in May. That event was a great combination for me as connector plus implementer. I gathered together amazing experts to provide the content I’d learned that my community of Metromoms really wanted and needed to support them in their business growth.

With these huge leaps you’d think that I’d settle into a groove. Not a chance! I have some great new programs I’m rolling out shortly because of a whole other shift I’ve recently taken. I’ll share more in an upcoming blog…

I’ve been able to move my company authentically in the right direction and serve that entrepreneurial mom because she is me. She is so many other women that I know and love. It’s easy to think of her and make sure I’m doing my best to provide her with content, resources and programs that serves her in a way that works for her.

As I relax this week with my family on Martha’s Vineyard I can look forward to another great year! A big thank you to all of you that have supported me along the way!

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

 

 Limiting Beliefs – Are They Holding You Back? [Metromom Podcast] [8:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My husband Allan recently asked me why I love my business so much. One thing I shared is that I love change, fluidity and flexibility. I like to have boundaries but I also like to push them (and break the rules occasionally). I also believe there’s nothing quite like entrepreneurship to help you learn who you are and what’s important to you.

I’ve been a serial mompreneur for over ten years. This last year has been my biggest and most daring year as I launched Metromom.com. It started as an online community to support women in direct-sales and evolved into being THE resource for mom entrepreneurs (in all businesses) for all the issues they have as business owners, mothers and more. As I celebrate the one year anniversary of Metromom I wanted to highlight the biggest lessons I’ve learned so far.

Lesson 1 – Stay Open to the Possibilities and True to Yourself

Soon after launching Metromom.com in July 2008, I realized that my focus was too narrow. By listening carefully to women entrepreneurs, both inside and outside my community, I realized the need to expand my niche. The lesson I learned was that by staying open, and not being fixated on being “right”, I was able to expand my business and reach out to many more women.

At the same time I realized that while staying open to the insights of others, I needed to trust my instincts. I learned to take the time to make sure I was truly aligned with my values, beliefs and goals before moving forward.

Wisdom Tip: By being open to the possibilities and staying true to yourself, you’ll be amazed at how the right people, places and opportunities appear.

Lesson 2 – Enjoy the Collaborative Process

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. I’ve learned to delegate whether it means having friends to carpool my kids, VA’s to set-up my ezine or business coaches to help me discover the next step in my marketing plan.

I’m also collaborating with other mompreneurs with the belief and vision that together we can do something much more amazing than any of us on our own. I’ve brought on “experts” to offer a broader range of information to my community. This last year has taught me how I can use my gift of being a natural connector to harness the power of so many other wonderful women.

Wisdom Tip: Learn to enjoy and benefit from the collaborative process of what others add to the process of building your business.

Lesson 3 – Create Systems and Move On

Having a team is great but they don’t work without a system. I’ve learned the value of systematizing all our processes and creating delegated lists so everyone is clear about their responsibilities and timelines. I’m also using a great new program called Basecamp to help me keep track of it all! After determining the process, I’m able to delegate it, and go on to create new products and services that fuel my business and my soul.

Wisdom Tip: Creating systems can be time-consuming the first time around but it’s amazing how they’ll save you hours down the road and provide you with great clarity that comes from working through all the steps.

Lesson 4 – You Have to Invest in the Future

There have been moments where I’ve felt great scarcity over the past year, especially after my husband lost his job. I learned this lesson the hard way but I’ve realized that I have to continue making investments in my business and trust that they will pay-off.

Sometimes this has meant investing in my personal growth, like Baeth Davis’ Life Purpose Spiritual Summit that I attended. Sometimes it’s meant investing in great back-end technology that supports huge growth and many end-users. I’ve had to be smart with how I invested but I’ve had to keep moving forward to grow my business.

Wisdom Tip: Maybe you’re thinking to yourself… I don’t have the time or I don’t have the money. The truth is if you want to be successful you can’t afford NOT to invest in yourself and in your business.

Lesson 5 – Take Action Quickly

This lesson has led me to embrace my new nickname – the “Get It Done” Girl. I’ve learned to let go of perfectionism, and I trust that I’m enough as I am. I’ve discovered knowing the “WHAT” is more important than the “HOW”. I’m very capable at knowing and figuring out WHAT needs to get done. I may not know HOW it’s going to happen and how to do it but I am resourceful and can connect with others who do have the expertise I may be lacking to get the job done.

This skill has served me well as a mompreneur. Because there’s nothing that truly prepares you or gives you all the experience you need to be an entrepreneur – you just have to go for it!

Wisdom Tip: You have to be willing to jump into unchartered waters, and trust that other experts can fill in your gaps.

I share five more lessons in part 2 of “Lessons Learned from a Serial Mompreneur”.  Please share any lessons you’ve learned in your journey as a mom entrepreneur!

We watch our children and our husbands do it, but for us as moms it’s so hard to do “nothing”. It’s hard to let go of our to-do list and spend a weekend or even just a few hours really relaxing. You’d like to sit and read a novel, take a bubble bath or play an endless game of Monopoly with your 9-year old.

But… if you’re like me there’s always something you really SHOULD do. You’re already mentally gearing up for next week and thinking of ways to get ahead—maybe it’s catching up on laundry, getting a head start on your next newsletter or responding to last week’s emails.

 

 Mom’s Weekend Dilemma – Time to Relax or Time Get Ahead? [Metromom Podcast] [6:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

One of the great women I connected with last week in Las Vegas is Sandy Grason. Sandy is on the verge of something really big and I’m excited to share it with you. She’s combined years studying mindset, balance, fulfillment, passion and purpose along with a significant investment in learning marketing strategies and how to make money doing work you love.

She’s putting a new program out there to save you the many years of time and money that she spent – years of frustration and overwhelm. Sandy decided there’s got to be a better way. You’ll really enjoy her Jerry Maguire Manifesto – click here to view and sign-up for her Virtual Cocktail Party® June 18th at 1pm Pacific (4pm Eastern, 3pm Central, 2pm Mountain).

I’m so excited to announce the Metromom Website Contest!

In celebrating the launch of my new updated website, Jennifer Haubein of Websites 2 Grow and I are partnering to bring one lucky mom business owner the opportunity to win a fr*ee website.

And not only will she win a fr*ee website, but she’ll gain some amazing publicity because Jennifer will be building the winner’s website on a special live webinar. Talk about some great fr*ee publicity for the winner!

So if you want to take your business online this is your chance. To see all the contest details and how to enter please click this link .

The contest ends Friday June 19th so don’t miss your chance to  win a website.