“Belief is the bridge between your dreams and your dreams coming true.”

What you believe as an entrepreneur believes will affect your habits. Then the cycle continues. Your habits will affect your choices, your behavior, and your decisions.

Belief is incredibly powerful. “If you expect to fail, in most cases you already have.” How many days have you woken up in a bad mood, thought bad thoughts and bad things happened? (more…)

Growing up I couldn’t throw a ball very well. My dad went as far as to say I threw like a chicken. He was a die-hard Yankee fan, and when we went to games I had more fun watching the fans and noticing what people were wearing.

Fast forward to me as an adult with a 10-year old baseball-playing boy and my experience of the game has really changed.  It’s the one time of the day when I let the rest of my world go and enjoy the experience of his game, my spring baseball friends, and an opportunity to be present to what’s going on. I also realize that the lessons he’s learning on the field are very similar to the ones I’m learning in business.

Beck and I recently had a conversation about what makes a player good versus great. Assuming two players have equivalents skill sets, I believe the great player has the tools to shift his mindset and to visualize what he wants for himself. It’s the great player who when faced with adversity (pitching a bad game, going into the last inning losing or being injured) has to rally from somewhere deep inside to pull it together, know they want to win, and do whatever it takes.

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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.)

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.

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

This podcast shares how women entrepreneurs can be authentic and enjoy doing business on their own terms. I speak about the importance of developing self-awareness and self-confidence as you align your actions with your beliefs. I show entrepreneurs the value of trusting their instincts, even if they’re new to business.

 

 How to Be An Authentic Entrepreneur [Metromom Podcast] [6:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As an entrepreneur it’s so important to have a network of people you can turn to when you have questions. By getting other people involved in your business success, you’ll not only get answers to your questions, you’ll be inspired by their ideas.

You truly empower yourself when you involve people that will both cheer you on and provide valuable knowledge – people who can show you the “how”.

What if you don’t feel like you have enough people in your life that can give you the support you need? This is a big issue for mom entrepreneurs because we’re home alone and it’s difficult to find the business support we’re looking for. I believe there’s no need to go it alone as mom entrepreneurs are very generous in their support.

I recently had a Metromom in my community approach me on the side and say, “Kim, I’m really struggling. I have a full-time business and a direct sales business that is just not where I want it to be. Times are tough economically, and it’s just not working as I want it to.”

This woman opened herself up to me in a very vulnerable way. Because I understood her situation, I was able to connect her with other women I believed could support her. One of these women got her to think about something professionally that was completely out of the box.

This new idea caused me to say, “Aha. I can make another connection for you.” Together we were creating a spider web of new connections for her. It was such a glorious experience to watch and realize she had tapped into a handful of other people who could provide great support for her.

This story really emphasizes the importance of opening up to others to find the right answers to your questions. You might feel vulnerable admitting that you don’t know the answer but what better way is there to get support?

For myself, by asking good questions and finding the right people to support and help me find the answers, I’ve been able to move my business forward at a much quicker pace. Don’t underestimate your ability to get your business moving forward. With the right support, you can be empowered to be truly successful on your own terms.

Sometimes we hesitate to move forward with our business because we’re afraid that we just don’t have enough experience or skills to implement our ideas.

Have you ever found yourself thinking I don’t have enough experience to...

•    Launch a website
•    Send out a press release
•    Set-up a joint-venture partnership
•    Speak at a networking meeting

We all have doubts about our lack of experience running a business or expanding in some way. And, while experience is important, resourcefulness has a BIGGER impact on your long-term success. If you know WHAT needs to be done, you can always get help on HOW to get it done.

Let me share how I discovered this to be true…

My career began doing product development and merchandising for the Gap, Banana Republic and J. Crew. About 13 years ago, while in-between jobs, an old boss and mentor asked me to take on a project that was completely outside the scope of my expertise.

He wanted me to open and run high profile stores around the country. It meant negotiating real estate deals, signing leases, overseeing the design of the space from fitting rooms to bathroom locations, to which computer systems we’d use, to actually purchasing the product. The scope was huge, overly awesome, nothing that I’d ever done before and crazily enough I was the only person he wanted for the job.

Why I wondered? What did he see in me that he had such trust I could do this?

For a month or so I felt like a deer in the headlights as I kept encountering new things that I was responsible for that I knew nothing about. I had notebooks upon notebooks with questions that I needed to get answered about all the parts of running these stores. Then, about two months into my job, a light bulb went off for me.

I finally understood why he chose me. I realized what my gift was and why I was the right one for this job. I am 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 (and in this case I clearly didn’t) 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 an entrepreneur. Because there’s nothing that truly prepares you or gives you all the experience you need to be an entrepreneur. You have to be willing to jump into unchartered waters, and trust that other experts can fill in your gaps. As women, we realize that it takes a village and we relish the fact that we can reach out for support.

(Metromom provides members with access the Connection Café and Search & Connect to help women reach out for support. Metromom’s got a community for entrepreneurial women who can start using these valuable connection tools.)

The beauty of an entrepreneurial business, is that there is a direct connection between your personal growth and your business growth.  Many work-at-home moms feel guilty even thinking about putting themselves first, so their needs are always relegated to the backburner. You can’t afford NOT to invest in your personal growth as an entrepreneur and even as a mother. Discover ways to invest in your personal growth that will help you achieve dramatic results in your business growth.

 

 Mom Entrepreneurs – Personal-Growth Means Business-Growth [Metromom Podcast] [5:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When you consider what’s going on with the economy, it’s very easy to focus on your own individual needs as you feel the stress of hard times, especially if you’re not generating the income you’d like and you’re in a place of fear. When you step out of your own personal focus and begin asking how you can be of service to others, everything in the universe shifts and you embark on a path to much greater success.

I’ve noticed that during various times in my life – when I was internally focused (and in a fearful place) – others around me felt my desperation, which was not very attractive. As I grow and become more aware, I when I am able to turn my attention to how I can be of service to others, and let go of my own concerns, (regardless of what’s going on for me personally) everything shifts.

Instead of focusing on “What’s in it for me?” – take the focus off of yourself. Shift your focus to “What am I going to GIVE?” Watch your energy shift into a positive place regardless of your own struggles, financial or otherwise.

What’s even better is with the right focus you CANNOT FAIL. When you’re authentic and have an intention to truly be of service, you end up winning by establishing or maintaining great relationships. These relationships can benefit you in so many ways in the future -through referrals, future business or just the value of a solid friendship.

If you’re struggling financially, let go of focusing on that desperation and instead focus on who you can serve. You’ll be amazed at the shift in your energy and the positive results will inspire you to continue. Please share how being of service has benefitted you in ways you never imagined.

*This content is based in part on Sin #7 in the Guide, The Seven Deadly Sins Women in Direct Sales Make… and How to Avoid Them. Sign-up for your 7 Week Action Guide.