The beauty of an entrepreneurial business is that there is a direct connection between your personal growth and your business growth. Watch your business grow exponentially as you personally develop and grow. I want to share some suggestions with you on how to invest in your own personal growth so you can achieve dramatic results in your business growth.

 

  Women Entrepreneurs – Your Best Business Investment is You [Metromom Podcast] [5:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In my last post I shared that you are your best business investment. There are many different ways you can invest in yourself and this can involve every aspect of your life – from your health, to your spirituality, to your emotional well-being. Even if what you’re doing appears unrelated to your business, you’ll see results when you care for yourself.

Realistically, as women entrepreneurs, a lot of our focus will naturally be on ways to expand the business.

Here are a few specific ways that investing in yourself can achieve dramatic results in your business growth:

• Hire a coach
• Join a mastermind group
• Invest in marketing advice – trainings, books or audio CDs
• Go on a business retreat
• Participate in local networking groups

You don’t need to make all these investments (of time or money) at once. Start with whatever investment you find to be motivating and realistic so you’re not tempted to procrastinate. Make a commitment to yourself and then take action.

Part of the belief and philosophy behind Metromom is that we all need to continually invest in ourselves. I’m thrilled to know that so many women entrepreneurs within our Metromom community are doing just that. They are getting involved! I encourage you to make the investment in growing personally and watch your business grow as a result.

I’d love to hear what you’re doing to invest in yourself.

The beauty of an entrepreneurial business is that there is a direct connection between your personal growth and your business growth. Watch your business grow exponentially as you personally develop and grow.

As women entrepreneurs we’re often looking for something better – whether that means spending more time with our family, making more money or pursuing our passion. We want to improve our lives…we may want a way out or a chance to change. As an entrepreneur, if you’re willing to invest in your personal growth you have the ability to shape your own destiny. That freedom is what appealed to many of us when we started our businesses.

Are you committed to investing in your personal growth?

I’ve noticed that the biggest leaps in my business growth always occur after I’ve invested in some personal growth. Whether it’s a great personal development book I took the time to read, a live event with one of my favorite mentors or a phone call with a mastermind partner – I always walk away with more ideas, more confidence and more inspiration.

In preparation for my new program, The Get It Done Challenge, I’ve had the opportunity (and gift) of doing some one-on-one coaching with high idea-generating women entrepreneurs. I’ve been very impressed by how many women are committed to their own personal growth. In our lively conversations, it’s apparent that these women recognize that they need to invest in themselves in order to be successful.

But, maybe you’re thinking to yourself… I don’t have the time or I don’t have the money. Women (and particularly moms) often suffer from guilt. Many entrepreneurial moms I know feel guilty even thinking about putting themselves first, and therefore their needs are often relegated to the backburner.

This reasoning won’t support you in achieving your goals. You can’t afford NOT to invest in your personal growth as an entrepreneur and also as a mother. Instead of feeling guilty, recognize that when you invest in yourself everyone in your business and personal life benefits along with you.

FYI–If you are ready to get it done and connect with motivated women entrepreneurs check out the GET IT DONE Circle today.

Based on my own money history, I am fascinated with money as a tool for personal growth. Let me tell you what led up to my decision to hold a Telesummit at the beginning of the year for motivated women entrepreneurs about all the confusing issues surrounding money.

Money has always been a highly charged subject for me.

Growing up my parents were on opposite sides of the money spectrum. My mom came from a depression-era home and savings and frugality were paramount. The message I received was, “If I spend money, I am frivolous.” My dad worked very hard to create what he had and he wanted to enjoy it, and share it with his daughters. He’d periodically sneak me money to buy something I wanted. The message I received was “I must hide my spending from my mother.”

Needless to say, these conflicting messages set the tone for my very confusing relationship with money, which as an adult, I’m still working through. I started out after college making $17,200 as an assistant buyer at Bergdorf Goodman, a very high-end department store in New York City. On that salary I could barely afford to live in NYC but I had to look the part of the well-dressed fashion girl. However, as the  daughter of a frivolous mother Bergdorf’s was NOT where we shopped. If I did now, was I going to disappoint my mother?

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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

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.

You don’t have to look far to notice the rise of women entrepreneurs. Women are inspired to start their own businesses for many reasons – a great idea, lack of fulfillment in their current job, the excitement of taking a risk, or the need to create a work/life balance. In this podcast Kim DeYoung, founder of Metromom.com, shares the lessons she learned and the steps women should take before jumping into entrepreneurship.

 

 “Rise of Women Entrepreneurs” – What inspires women to start their own business? [Metromom Podcast] [5:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download