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Will Your 2016 Goals Support Your Life Purpose?

My son Colt and I were watching Marianne Williamson on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday this past Sunday morning and he was intrigued by her teachings and her presentation style. My son is quite fascinated by knowing and understanding people’s astrological signs and thought she was a Leo like him. We looked up her birthdate and she is a Cancer like me (cool). I began talking to him about other things to look at when understanding life purpose and core personality and we pulled out some of my numerology books to calculate her numbers and read about her life path.

I then decided to read my life path again and I was not surprised by what I read because I know my purpose and life path. I WAS surprised to realize how easy it has been to incorporate spirituality principles into business coaching and training. According to my Life Path numbers, which are a 34/7, I am here to be a bridge between heaven and earth, between worldly business and spiritual pursuits, inner and outer, mysticism and practicality. In other words, the bridging of what seems like opposites (describes me very well).

It was a great reminder to make sure I stay on the path and my original intention for my holistic training business as I review my 2016 business plan. Even my business tag line supports my purpose: Awakening Inner Power, Achieving Outer Results.

I want to share some of the ways that you can revisit your purpose to make sure you are in alignment for 2016. Here are some questions to ask to help you be sure that you are staying the course.

•What is most important to me in my life? Perhaps it’s family, social injustice, spirituality, business, personal development, technology or a myriad of other things.

•What are my deepest values and beliefs? Your core values teach you a lot about what is most important to you as well as understanding your core beliefs. Your core beliefs, if they are supportive can serve you like your own personal 10 Commandments.

•What is some of the past pain I have had to overcome or am still working to overcome? Many times you discover your purpose through your most painful life experiences. That’s what happened to me. It was through one of the most challenging times in my life that I began asking “what am I here for, what is my purpose”.

•What world problems give you a charge? If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change in the world? Perhaps your purpose is to be a catalyst for that change.

•What were some of things you pretended to be in childhood play? I always wanted to be a teacher, an actor and a rock star. Now I get to be all three in my business especially when I am on stage speaking and training.

•If you could have anyone’s job or be anyone, who would you be and why? This could be a big clue for you.

Whether you know your life purpose or are still in the discovery process, it’s important to revisit and remind yourself of who you are here to be and how to get back in alignment when you are out. It’s like being your own chiropractor and making an adjustment to get back in alignment. Go through the questions. Use other tools and resources for discovery that you are aware of. It’s a great exercise to do periodically because life has a way of taking you off course occasionally.

Being clear on your purpose allows you to take the actions necessary to make 2016 a successful year.

If you need more clarity on your goals be sure to grab a copy of my book on Goal Setting, Step Into Your Vision for the most fun way to achieve your dreams. http://www.visiontorealitytraining.com/store/books

Are You Making These Networking Mistakes?

What would it be worth to your business to increase your results from networking? What results are you looking for from networking? Do you have an intention set around networking? Do you have a networking strategy in place? These are some key questions that you should ask yourself.

I do a lot of networking. On top of doing a lot of networking, I teach networking skills for results. I see a lot of common mistakes that business owners make when networking and for the purpose of this article I have narrowed it down to the top three that will have the greatest impact on your networking results.

1. Do you throw up on everyone you meet with too much information? Are you a walking brochure? Do you ask and then tell or do you just tell, tell, tell and talk, talk, talk? Networking is about making connections. Ask lots of questions when you are talking to people. When you are interested in them, they become interested in you and what you do. Then you can leverage the conversation when you follow up with them (which leads me to the next mistake).

2. Do you follow up with those you meet or do you just let the business cards stack up in piles and stare at them as if by osmosis, everyone in the pile is going to call you for your amazing products and services? You are creating relationships. Relationships don’t happen over a short conversation. That would be like meeting someone and asking them to marry you on the spot. You need to court or date your connections AND they may not even be your ideal customer.

You won’t know that without connecting outside of the initial meeting. Even if they are not your ideal customer, they could be a great referral source or even become a good friend. Have a follow up system in place. Send them an email as soon as possible after meeting them and schedule time in your calendar for follow up phone calls.

3. Are you a hunter or a gatherer? A hunter is always looking to see who they can shoot their information to. They pass out their business cards like candy on Halloween. Then they hope that someone will call them to buy what they are selling. A gatherer gathers others information with the intent of building that connection into a deeper business relationship.

Who do you think has the power, the hunter or the gatherer? It’s the gatherer! When you give your card away without getting contact information in return, you give the power of connection to the other person. When you collect the card or information, you have the power to develop that connection. You don’t have to wait for the phone to ring. You can pick up the phone or send an email to begin the dating process.

Having a networking strategy and setting an intention for networking will help you avoid making these mistakes. Pay attention to those who follow up with you (FYI, there are very few who do). Because they don't, when you follow up you stand out from the crowd and create powerful connections. Remember your net worth is equal to your network and it’s up to you to build a powerful network to grow your business. Do not overlook the power of having a networking strategy.

12-21-12

Winter Solstice arrives on Friday the 21st of December at 11:11 Universal Time. There are many ancient myths and traditions regarding the celebration of Winter Solstice. Also known as Yule, in pre-Christian times (and in current times as well) it was celebrated at the end of one year’s cycle and the beginning of a new year, a time when “the sun stands still” in the sky, before the daylight hours get longer and the birth/death/rebirth cycle begins anew.

Winter Solstice, considered the “re-birth of the sun”, comes about 3-4 days before the celebration of the birth of Jesus, or the “birth of the son”. This year it also marks the end of the Mayan Calendar and there is also supposed to be a Galactic Alignment as well. There is a lot of POWER and ENERGY in tomorrow’s Solstice.

Winter Solstice on 12-21-12 at 11:11 is a great time to honor yourself and how you are living your purpose on this earth. Take the opportunity on this powerful numerological day to acknowledge and share your accomplishments of 2012.

Here are some steps to make the most of this powerful day and set yourself up to make 2013 the beginning of your New Era of Success.

• Take time to look back through your year and make a celebratory list of all that you accomplished in the past year.

• Light some candles to bring forth the light on this long dark night and set to viewing the past year by writing your accomplishments. Big or small, acknowledging your accomplishments and giving gratitude for the blessings of the past year will allow you to move into the new cycle with clarity, vision and light.

• When you are done honoring the past year, take some time to set some intentions for the coming year. Write them down and post them where you can view them often.

• Write down the areas that were not such a success, what you learned from them and what to do differently (there is no such thing as failure, only feedback)

• Put together your success plan for 2013. Create your business plan, revenue forecast, marketing plan, sales plan, financial growth plan and health plan. You can also do this between now and New Year’s Day. Work on it a little each day or take one piece of you plan each day and complete it before 1-1-13.

• Make a dream or vision board with pictures and inspiring words. Hang it in a conspicuous area where you can view it often. Then your intentions are fresh in your mind throughout the year.

• Say a blessing of gratitude for your life. Melody Beattie says “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

The coming year, 2013, is a number six year in the science of numerology (2+0+1+3=6). The number six represents duty and responsibility, nurturing and understanding. This is a chance for you to settle down from the energy of adaption and investigation that the five year brought where we learned how to re-create ourselves in the new economy. It’s a time to become responsible for your own results, step into the duty of fulfilling your purpose and destiny and nurture yourself and your family through the process.

Take a moment, close your eyes and imagine yourself at the end of 2013 having accomplished the intentions that you set at Winter Solstice 2012. Looking back, see the steps that you took to accomplish those goals. Breathe in the vision, the colors, the emotion and the sounds of this imagery, allowing yourself to be fully present in this future moment.

Allow the energy of the vision to completely expand inside of your being and hold onto this for a few moments. Then open your eyes and know that you have taken the first step to bring this vision to fruition.

Step Into Your Greatness

We all get stuck sometimes in various areas of our lives. Many times we have so much going on in our lives that we are challenged to move forward because of the “too many things on our plate” syndrome. Perhaps we make too many commitments and can’t fulfill them all. Other times it is due to a perceived roadblock or obstacle that we can’t seem to get around, or it may be doubt in ourselves or a fear of failure or success that holds us back. And sometimes life just shows up and throws us some curve balls that take us off track. Whatever the cause is, it helps to have a good old pep talk from a trusted advisor to bust you through and access to resources that can lift you up.

I’ve had this experience recently. I’ve written about some of what has been going on for me in my social media posts and newsletter for the past several months. Since June I have been though an IRS audit for 2 years of taxes with a 3rd year pending, have been affected by 8 deaths, most of which were family or friends including the unexpected death of my sister in-law if 34 years and the murder of one of my best friends daughter. I moved one of my son’s out of my house and I met a man in August and started a new dating relationship. Between the audit, death and grief, the move of my 19 year old and the excitement and distraction of a new relationship, I have been feeling a little stuck and overwhelmed and it was affecting how I was showing up in my business.

So let me ask you, what is your strategy or strategies to get unstuck or deal with overwhelm? Do you wait until it is so uncomfortable that you can’t take it any more before you reach out for assistance? Do you jump into tried and true strategies that have helped you before? Do you reach out to a trusted friend? Do you hire or work with a professional coach or advisor to move you forward?

I’d like to share with you some of the strategies that I use to move me out of my funk and back into a place of resourcefulness, inspiration and action.

1. Start reading your favorite personal development book or pick up a new one to read. For me, it helps me greatly to pick up my favorite books and reread them. Some of my favorites are “The Game of Life and How to Play It” by Florence Scovel Shin, “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks, “Harmonic Wealth” by James Ray, “Excuses Be-Gone” by Wayne Dyer, “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield, and “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. (I have a pretty large library so this just scratches the surface of books I reread)

2. Read magazines that are uplifting and have stories and messages that can help you move forward. My 2 favorite magazines are Success Magazine and Science of Mind Magazine. They both have stories and articles that are uplifting and full of tips for personal, spiritual and business development.

3. Use mind technologies to help you shift outdated beliefs and thought patterns. I use Hypnosis, NLP, my Mini Me Management System, and affirmations.

4. Take a day off or even a couple of hours and spend time in nature alone where you can meditate, process and clear your head.

5. Talk to a coach (like me) that can remind you of who you truly are and give you an inspirational pep talk and strategies to help you shift. Everyone needs a coach because we all get stuck and can’t see our own blind spots. Even a coach needs a coach. I called one of my coaches for some assistance and here are some words of wisdom he shared with me that helped me shift.

• “Ask yourself Annette, how could this cause you to grow?”

• “Embrace your resistance”

• “Draw a line in the sand”

• “Step into your greatness, stop shrinking”

• “Tell yourself, When I am at my best I am one of the Elite Success Trainers on the Planet”

Those are just a few of the strategies that I have used and if any of them resonate with you, please use them. I use a multi strategy approach to address my challenges. You never know when or where the thing you most need to hear to lift you up and out will come from. Next time you are feeling challenged use the multi approach strategy and come at your challenge from different angles.

If you need some coaching assistance from me to get you inspired and moving forward, I have 6 coaching strategy sessions open over the next 2 weeks. They will go fast! Get scheduled TODAY at www.ScheduleWithAnnette.com

Blaze a New Trail: Be a Trend Setter

Every July 24th, Pioneer Day is celebrated in Utah as their state holiday. This is the day that marks the anniversary of the declaration “This is the place” by Mormon leader and Prophet, Brigham Young that the valley which is now known as Salt Lake City was the place for the Mormon Pioneers to settle after their long and challenging trek from Missouri to Utah. The Mormon Pioneers endured such incredible hardships to follow their beliefs and their hope in possibilities that we can’t even fathom what they experienced to follow their dreams.

Today we have so many resources available to us to help us follow our dreams and the beliefs that we have to make our dreams come true. However, it still takes a pioneering spirit to continue moving forward day after day through the challenges that we face on our own journey of success. As pioneers in this day and age, we have a choice to be a trail blazer or a follower. I want to talk to all of you trailblazers out there.

The world is in need of leaders now more than ever. We need business leaders to step out of their comfort zone; to step out of the known and not only become trail blazers but trend setters. We are in need of people to lead the way out of our current economy into a different and more empowered economy through their businesses and even the positions that they hold in their companies as employees.

That’s what the entrepreneur spirit is all about. It’s about blazing new trails, setting new trends and being global leaders. Are you doing what it takes to develop your leadership skills and lead the way to a brighter future for all?

There is a leadership skill set that I call my Magnetic Leadership© Skill Set. These are seven skills and characteristics that you can develop to become a magnetic leader and draw people to your message, your movement, and your trend and to blaze new trails into a successful future.

1. Listening: A great leader is a great listener

2. Intuition: Leaders follow their gut and the intuitive hits they receive

3. Communication: Leaders know how to communicate on all levels; energetic, body language, listening and verbally

4. Courage: Great leaders do as Susan Jeffs suggests; they feel the fear and do it anyway

5. Inspire: Leaders have the ability to inspire others to be their best

6. Vision: Great leaders can see the big picture as well as the small details

7. Future Pace: Leaders are able to step out into the future and lead others to the future vision.

Where are you at in the development of your leadership skills? I invite you to evaluate your skills and your ability to lead, be a trailblazer and a trend setter. What skills are strong? What skills do you need to develop and bring to a higher level? What resources or assistance to you need to bring them to a higher level?

You have the power to change your world and the world around you if you are willing to step up and lead. As Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world”. That’s the mark of a true leader!

If you need help in leadership development, be sure to fill out the form on the coaching page and someone on my team will connect with you to see how we can help.

Bull's Eye! Attracting Ideal Clients

Wow, it’s crazy how many entrepreneurs I have talked to lately that when I ask the question “who is your ideal client or customer” they say “good question, I’m not sure” or “I’ll have to think about that one”. If you don’t know the answer to this all important question, listen up! You are missing out on money every day…it’s just passing you by like arrows flying past the target and at such velocity that you aren’t even aware that you are missing out (or maybe you are and don’t know how to stop the madness).

You see, if you can’t define who your ideal client is then you are missing the mark and are probably not even hitting close to the target. In order to hit the bull’s eye and attract your “target” or “ideal client” then you have to be laser focused on your “bull’s eye client”. This takes some serious focus. I want you to sit down this week and ask yourself 4 important questions.

1. How old and what gender are they? Be specific! Your products and services are geared towards a certain age range and perhaps a specific gender. Yes, you may get customers and clients outside of that range and remember, we are defining the bull’s eye, not the target range.

2. What are the problems or needs that your product or service solves or addresses for them? You must identify their pain point. People generally buy to get out of pain or discomfort. They are looking for a solution. This will help you focus your marketing.

3. Why will they purchase your product or service over someone else’s? What is your unique selling proposition (USP)? How do you stand out in the marketplace? You must identify your USP otherwise you will be just another face in the crowded marketplace.

4. Where do I find them? How do I reach them easily? Where do they hang out? Once you’ve identified them, you need to know where to find them and how to reach them.

Once you have identified your “bull’s-eye” customer or client, create an avatar that represents exactly who they are. What do they look like? Where do they hang out? What’s their family like? What do they do for a living? How much money do they make?

Those are just a few more questions to use to create your avatar. Once you have created your “bull’s eye” client or avatar, then you can begin to design your marketing strategy to attract that person. You can get really specific on how to reach them through their pain point. You may need some help with brainstorming. It can be quite a process and if you are serious about making money, you must schedule the time to do this and get help if you need it.

Check today to see if I have any openings for a Rock Your Purpose Strategy Sessions if you are in need of some help identifying your “bull’s eye client avatar”. Schedule today before they are gone and stop letting money fly by like an arrow in the wind. www.ScheduleWithAnnette.com .

Are You Leaking Energy?

Are you experiencing energy or soul power leaks in your business? What about your health? Your relationships? Are you leaky in your finances?

Power or energy leaks can be a small leak that drains your energy over time or a large leak that causes a major daily drain. If you want to live your purpose and make more profits, you must begin to plug your power leaks.

I spent over 21 years working in the semiconductor industry. Part of it I spent manufacturing semiconductors or integrated circuits so I saw how the slightest shift in a process could cause the integrated circuit to fail by causing a power leak. I spent over 11 years as an assistant engineer in new technology development and failure analysis and it was my job to go in and find the energy leaks or power leaks in the integrated circuits that were causing them to fail. Then I would write reports on the cause and probable solution. As a coach, I use an equivalent process to assist my clients at identifying and plugging or repairing their power leaks.

You see, you are like an integrated circuit. If you look at a cross-section of an integrated circuit, you can see how all of layers of different chemical, photo and diffusion processes line up to create a functional circuit which provides power and memory in phones, cars, computers or different functions in other electronic devices.

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When we cross-section our lives we see all the layers of our experiences, our relationships, our thoughts and beliefs from infancy to our current age that create the integrated circuit called “I” or “me”. If there is a shift in the wrong direction in the one of those layers in our lives, it can cause us to leak energy and then we no longer function at the level of our maximum capability or capacity.

Imagine you have 100 watts of power to power you up every day. If you have 15 watts focused on fear of the future, and 15 watts focused on the crap that happened in the past, and 40 watts pissing and moaning about your current challenges, it only gives you 30 watts to be present in your life, to come up with solutions and to focus on love, gratitude, health, abundance and prosperity. Do you follow?

Here are 3 steps to identify and plug your power leaks

1.Set the intention to notice where you are leaking energy. Do you leak energy around certain people? Are you procrastinating (huge energy leakage)? Do you have clutter sucking your energy? Is fear draining your wattage? Here’s a big one…negative self-talk. How about self-defeating habits, behaviors and beliefs. Distraction and excuses anyone? Stuck in the past? Begin to identify where the leaks are. Journal about them for the next week.

You may need to put your life under a microscope for a week. When I worked in the semiconductor industry, I would have to put the integrated circuit under a microscope so that I could laser in at a sub-micron level to see where the power leak or shift was. Sometimes I would have to put a filter into the microscope lenses, use a special liquid and add heat to identify the leak. Sometimes I would have to use a really high powered microscope system called a SEM or Scanning Electron Microscope and look at different angles to see the leak.

You may need to do the same to really laser in on your leaks, especially the small leaks that cause the daily drains (we generally know where the big leaks are).

2.Once you have identified where you are leaking power, set the intention to find the solution to plug the leak. Take a deep breath, don’t judge yourself and begin asking powerful questions. What steps do I need to take to handle this energy leak and plug it? What resources do I need? Do I need outside intervention or can I handle it myself? Do I need to have a conversation with someone? Be still and listen for the answers and be prepared to journal. Remember, you can’t solve the problem at the level it was created and asking powerful questions moves you to a higher level.

3.Take action on the answers that you receive from your power questions and plug the leaks. Those answers may require that you step out of your comfort or familiar zone and take some uncomfortable actions. That’s ok. Be sure to find the support that you need if you must work through something uncomfortable to plug the leak. Remember that changing your life and plugging your energy leaks does not come without bold action.

Remember to get support if you feel that you need it. It may be helpful to ask some of those closest to you where they notice you are leaking energy. Sometimes we are blind to our own leaks because we have been leaking for so long that we have acclimated to the leak and have learned to tolerate, cope and ignore.

I am available for that level of support AND as a coach and mentor I won’t let you off the hook as easily as you will or as easily as your friends and family will. I call it as I see it and I also assist you at identifying and implementing solutions to get results. So if you are ready for big changes (or small tweaks), call me at 801-230-9534 to schedule an appointment and let’s plug those soul power leaks!

Three Keys to Unlock Your Genius to Make More Money

I’ve been chatting with a lot of entrepreneurs lately that they are not sure if they can make the income that they desire with what they are offering in the marketplace. They are not sure of their genius and how to create a great income by tapping into what they are naturally good at.

The other scenario is that they down play their genius or have not fully tapped into what their genius is because they are clouded with “what I should be doing” rather than “what I love to do and am naturally good at”.

I’ve been through this myself. When I was married, my husband would often tell me that I had chosen the wrong industry to get involved with and that there wasn’t a need for success coaches and consultants. He felt I should have gone into computer sciences or the medical field as a nurse. HELLO…I don’t really get computer technology and I am bad at using technical terms; I can never remember them (no techie here). And even though I have been a nurse at home to my family and my kids, I have no passion to be a nurse to others.

See, I believe that we all have a genius inside us and my genius will not be your genius because it is unique to each person (hint: it is part of your soul purpose). So what are the keys to unlock your inner genius?

1. Begin to make a list at what you are naturally good at. What do you do that others say “wow, you are so good at that”? What are you naturally drawn to? It could be in the business or personal category. For example, I was an assistant failure analysis engineer at a semiconductor company for 21 years yet technology wasn’t really my genius. What was my genius and something that people commented on many times was quality assurance and coaching others to be sure that they were following quality and safety policies. I would see something that needed to be changed or updated and I would set out to get it done. Also, the ability to intuit failures on the product before I dove into the actual failure analysis process. The big thing was how people would always show up to my cubicle to discuss personal or work issues because I was just a natural at coaching them and sharing ways to improve their situation. I have incorporated all of this into my coaching practice. You may be good at gardening, cooking, woodworking, coaching kid’s sports, compassion and understanding and the list goes on. If you get stuck, ask your friends and family what they think your genius is.

2. Once you have your list, narrow it down to the top two or three things that you feel really are you genius. Can you incorporate them into what you are currently doing for your business or even in your job if you are employed (you don’t have to be an entrepreneur to incorporate entrepreneurial skills). Can you use your genius to start a business? What is currently not being fulfilled or is lacking in fulfillment in the market place and how can you use your unique genius to fulfill that niche? How can you use your genius to add value to other’s lives? You see, your unique genius may be just the ticket to create a 6 or 7 figure enterprise. Even if you are working in direct sales or network marketing industry, you can use your genius to create a unique approach to making more sales and getting more people on your team.

3. Begin to incorporate your genius into what you are currently doing if you are not already. If you are already incorporating them into your current business, can you take them to a higher level or amp them up? If you would like to begin a business with your genius then get your business ideas on paper and begin researching what it would take to get your business off the ground. What support do you need? What funding do you need? You can toe dip and test the water with your genius or dive right in the deep end; you get to choose. You may need to get some support and accountability to implement so keep that in mind.

Unlocking your genius can be so much fun. It really is about living your purpose and passion to get more profits. Can you imagine making more money by tapping into what you are naturally good at? It’s GENIUS!

If you need some help getting clear on your genius and how to use it to make more money, be sure to schedule a complementary coaching strategy session at www.ScheduleWithAnnette.com.

Do You Expo?

For many entrepreneurs, trainers and speakers, having a booth at an event or a trade show is an excellent marketing and networking strategy. Yet I hear so many tell me they do not get their return on investment. Why? Perhaps they are not making the most of the opportunity. I have be doing booths at events, expos and trade shows for many years and have discovered many things that work and many things that don’t. Here are the top six strategies that you need to do to make sure that your booth is a success and that you get a good ROI.

1. Make sure that the event, expo or trade show reaches your target audience. You’d be surprised how many companies invest in a booth at an event without researching the market that the event is attracting. I did that several times early in my business and I spent a lot of money without the ROI.

2. Limit your offerings at your booth. Many times business owners want to share everything that they have. Remember, a confused mind can’t make a decision. Have you ever been to a restaurant and there are so many items on the menu that you can’t make a decision? There are so many things that look good and so your mind shuts down. Do you follow? Showcase your top 2-3 products or services for your target audience. Limit their choices. It will help them make a decision on how they want to work with you.

3. Add color and dimension to your booth and draw people in. Lay out a bright rug entering into your booth. Use colorful scarves and tablecloths that flow with your branding on your tables. Add some height by using an empty cardboard box covered with cloth to showcase a product. Have a bouquet of flowers at your booth or if that is too feminine, have a green plant at your booth. It can be a plant on a table or a silk floor plant behind your table. Have an essential oil diffuser or air freshener that is inviting to their sense of smell. Have music playing in the background. Give your booth a homey, welcoming feel to it. Don’t just think that your banner or logo will draw people in. You have to invite them in through the senses.

4. Give away something for free. A print out with helpful tips with your company info on it, stickers, candy, product samples, little toys, products with your info on them like pens, sticky pads, magnets. If they purchase something from you give them something fun for becoming a customer like a string of Mardi Gras beads, a cute little memento with your company logo or something else that makes them feel extra special (which means you have to have a purchasing system in place such as order forms, or a system to do credit card transactions).

5. Have a way to capture their information. Don’t just put out a jar with some forms and expect people to hand over their information. Ain’t gonna happen! Also offering a free consultation or free estimate does not work either. You must give them something of real value. Have a drawing for a free product (be sure that it is of at least $50 or more). Do a drawing for a gift certificate to a nice restaurant or store. Do a drawing for a gift basket or some other coveted item. You have to entice them to give up their information. People don’t want to be bothered for meaningless stuff. Give them something of value for their information so that you can follow up with them.

6. Be sure to follow up within 48 hours after the event, even if it is just sending them an email thanking them for visiting your booth. You want to get your business name right back in front of them as soon as possible so that when you do call; your business name is fresh in their memory.

Getting a good ROI from an event takes some persistence and creativity and is definitely worth the effort. Can you imagine reaching thousands of people through these types of events that you wouldn’t be able to get in front of otherwise? Surely events, expos and tradeshows are superstar marketing strategies that could reap big rewards for your business if you take the time to follow the above steps.

Net Worth = to your Network

How many of you have heard the saying that your net worth is equal to your network? What the heck does that mean? It means that the people that are in your network can dictate how much financial prosperity that you have or create. Say what?

You are the sum of the people that you have in your life and that you spend time with. We have many different kinds of networks. We have our family network, our community network, our business network, our friend network, our client/customer network and so on and so forth. These are some of the core networks that we have in our lives.

Are you spending your time with people in your networks that have a mindset of abundance and prosperity or of lack and limitation? Do they see the glass half full or the glass half empty? How do you know? Look at their results. Listen to their language. Look at your own results. Listen to your own language. Those are key indicators.

I’m certainly not here to tell you that you must stop spending time with people that are living in the mindset of lack and limitation. I am here to encourage you to do an assessment and make decisions based on where you want to go and what you want to experience in your own life.

Here are some tips to help you grow your network to support you in creating your desired net worth.

1. First define where it is that you are heading. What do you want to experience in your business? What kind of income do you want to create? What is the lifestyle that you want to experience? What kind of role model do you want to be to your children, your friends, your family, your community, your clients and customers?

2. Who is already at the success level that you want to achieve? Who’s grown their business to the level that you would like to grow yours? Who is already at the income level that you desire to create? Who is already living the lifestyle that you want to live? Who do you feel is an excellent role model to their family and their community?

3. How can you connect with these people? Do you know them directly? Do they live in your location? Do you know somebody who knows them or can connect you? Can you join their email list? Can you take a workshop or seminar from them? Would you be willing to pick up the phone and call or email them? How can you bring them into your circle of influence so that some of their mojo can rub off on you and you can learn how to cultivate success like they have?

4. Evaluate who you are spending time with and if they are helping or hindering your progress. Pay close attention to how you feel when you are with people in different networks. What is the conversation happening? What is the mindset? Who would you rather spend time with? Who can you spend time with that will assist and support your growth?

If you want to create greater prosperity and success in your life, you must create the networks that support, encourage, influence and emulate where you want to go and what you want to create. If you want to become wealthy and you continue to spend time with people that are in lack and limitation mindset, is this the most effective environment for you to spend your time in? I say not and it is really up to you to decide what works for you. Ultimately, you are the only one that can decide AND I suggest that you seriously evaluate your networks before you make a decision.

Be sure to join me in the Networking Hero’s Program: Practical Steps to Grow Your Business though Networking. We will be working on building your network and net worth in this program.

Facebook 101 and other Social Media Facts

Are you using social media effectively? Do you have a Facebook page set up for your business or are you just using your friend/profile site for your business? How are you using social media as a business tool?

These are some great questions that you must ask yourself if you are promoting your business online and even if you have a brick and mortar business, it is essential that you are using all of the tools at your fingertips to create customer awareness including social media.

Using Social Media effectively will help you:

• Create a connection with your market by showing them your business personality
• Create authenticity and transparency with your market through posting and responding to posts and customer inquiries
• Create customer loyalty by creating a fan base and an easy way for them to follow what you are doing
• Promote your business to many more people than you could reach by direct mail or traditional advertising such as radio, TV and magazine/newspaper print
• Create a great platform to share your business values and philosophies which help with customer loyalty and retention
• And so much more…

Here are some facts about Facebook and other Social Media to inspire you to learn how to use it effectively. Most of these came from the February issue of Success Magazine and some are from internet search sites.

• 51% of Americans over the age of 12 have a profile on Facebook
• Twitter lags behind Facebook at only 8%
• 46 million Americans check their social media sites and services several times a day
• One in four social network users knowingly follow brands, products or services on social networks
• Among those who do follow brands, products or companies on social networks, 80% indicate that Facebook is the network they use the most to connect with companies
• Nearly 25% of social network users say that Facebook is the site that most influences their buying decisions.
• On Facebook, articles posted on Saturday are shared the most, Sunday comes in second
• Articles posted at 8:00am get the most shares (I am assuming this is ET), followed by 6:00pm
• There is a noticeable dip in shares during dinner-time as well as between midnight and 6:00am
• Posting every other day gets the best results in shared contend and fan retention
• When businesses were asked what their most effective marketing strategy was last year, 32% said E-mail, 28% Facebook page, 18% other, 11% Twitter updates, 11% direct mail.
• 82% of the world’s online population is determined to be reached by social networking sites, representing 1.2 billion users around the world and I believe this is even higher now.
• Females account for 62% of all Facebook page views
• On LinkdedIn and Wikia, men are more likely to log on than females each day
• 23% Of All Time Spent Online Happens on Social Networks and Blogs
• Social Networking Sites Reach 60% Of Global Internet Users or more

Pretty awesome facts, right? Does it inspire you to up level the way you are using social media?

I would love your feedback on what you are doing on social media to promote your business and where you need additional support. Please fill out this short 4 question survey. It will only take a few minutes of your time and I appreciated how valuable you time is and honor you for lending me just a few minutes.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9L2SKM2

All Eyes Are Watching You

I was riding on the back of an all-terrain vehicle through a forest of quaking aspen in central Utah a while back, enjoying life in the outdoors, kicking back and taking in the scenery. As we drove along through the quaking trees, I noticed how the knot holes in the aspen trees look like eyes. Suddenly, it felt as if a million eyes were watching me. It was kind of eerie.

It dawned on me that in business, as you put yourself out there and market yourself; a million eyes are watching you. You have much greater influence than you realize, especially with social media and web based presence. As your exposure grows, so does the amount of eyes watching you. Even if people are not in direct contact with you, as in signing up for your newsletter or becoming a client or customer, they are still watching. They may be spreading the word about you and your business as well in either a positive or negative manner.

Is that a spooky thought for you? Exciting? Here are a few tips to make sure that you stay on the exciting side of the equation and not the spooky side.

Social Media:

1. Do not air personal family, friend or business conflicts on twitter or Facebook. There are approximately 350 million users on Facebook and even if you have only 30 friends, your posts show up with those friends, they have the opportunity to share your post on their wall so your post may end up being viewed by thousands of people. Furthermore, anyone that you have unfriended can still see your posts and anyone who has sent you a friend request, even if you have not accepted it can see your posts. And what about twitter threads. Whew…that could add up to a lot of people.

2. Keep your complaining to a minimum if at all. It’s ok to write about a frustration but add the upside or silver lining at the end. What did you learn? What’s good about it? Inspire people rather than expire them. There’s enough negativity out there, do not feed that fire.

3. Make most of your posts value added or as a positive connection point. Social media is about connection. It gives us an opportunity to add value and support to others and to receive it in return. It gives us the opportunity to connect with people outside of our local community so keep it on the positive side.

Networking:

1. How you show up at a networking event has a great effect on how you are perceived. I was on a tele-class for professional speakers the other day and the teacher said that people make 11 assumptions about you in the first 11 seconds of seeing you. WOW! Eleven assumptions, probably before you even blurt out a word. Be sure to dress how you want to be viewed. If you are a plumber and you want your potential market to view you as a hard working individual, then nice jeans and a polo shirt with your company logo on it may be the right combo. If you are a Real Estate professional or accountant, probably office/casual would suffice. Watch the shoes, people notice worn out shoes. Sure, they may be comfortable but seriously, make sure they send the right message.

2. Grooming is important. Hair, nails, teeth, breath, body odor, they are all important. Many times we don’t think people will notice the small details. Wrong! Sometimes the small stuff stands out like a big sore thumb.

3. How you speak is important too. Speak with confidence and passion about your business. Focus more on the other person rather than throwing up all over them about your business. Have you ever experienced that? The person you are talking to is not really interested at all in creating business relationships, they are just interested in letting you know about their business and not interested in yours at all. It’s all about them and they just throw up all over you. Gross! Let that not be you.

Videos:

1. Be sure that your videos are relevant to your business. Don’t post your personal family videos to your business channel unless you are tying it into your business.

2. Make sure that your videos portray the image of you and your business that you want people to perceive. Remember the eleven assumptions in eleven minutes can happen on video too.

3. Don’t film in a disorganized environment such as a messy office. Clean it up or find a better spot to film, unless it is relevant to the message being shared.

These are just a few ways that we show up in front of people. If you have a website, eyes are watching you there too. Pictures that you are tagged in may just show up in Google images. When was the last time you Googled yourself? Just for fun, Google your name or go to Google images and type in your name and see what shows up. It may be eye opening.

As you market your business online and off, keep in mind the people who are watching you and the assumptions they may be creating about you. Set your intention to show up as positive and inspire others. To quote from the Spiderman movie “With great exposure comes great responsibility”…oops that’s my quote.

5 Ways to Create Your Own Economy

It’s so easy to get sucked into all the bad news about the economy. According to news reports we are suffering in the United States. We are considered to be in “The Great Recession”. In looking up the definitions for economic recession and economic depression, they really seemed pretty much the same thing. We are also being affected by global markets and we have really seen that play out in the stock market the past couple of weeks. All though it is good to stay abreast of what is happening in the economy, avoid getting caught up in it. There are ways that you can create your own economy. Here are five that are right at the top of my head.

1. Stop watching and reading the newspaper. You can get online and get just enough information to know what is going on without having to get all the sensationalism and hype that comes out in the news and the focus on the doom and gloom. The news can breed fear and negativity; two things that you want to avoid at all costs. They are energy drains for sure.

2. Be grateful for you current circumstances. Whether you are doing just fine financially and in your business, or you are experiences challenging times, gratitude is the best attitude. You are where you are based on past thinking, feelings and actions. Where you currently are is nothing more than a biofeedback mechanism. Your situation today is based on past thoughts, feelings and actions; where you will be in the future is based on thoughts, feelings and actions in the present. Now is the best time to change your thoughts, feelings and actions to get your future results. By focusing on gratitude, you move out of victim mode into creator mode.

3. View the challenges in the economy and your own personal financial challenges as an opportunity for expansion. Expand your mind around opportunity. Many of our most successful enterprises in the United States were started in economic downturns. Now is a great time to provide products and services to solve some of the challenges in our economy. It’s also the perfect time to set your business up for success when the economic tides turn. It’s the small businesses that are going to catapult the economy out of this mess. Choose to be a contributor to our future economic success.

4. Innovate, innovate, and innovate! What you did last year or even last month to succeed may not work today. You must always be pushing the envelope with creative ways to serve your customers and clients. Watch what your competition is doing to succeed, and then see how you can tweak and twist it to have an even greater impact. Go within and ask your higher self for some creative ideas. Great and innovative minds take time to listen to their inner guidance for clues and ideas to innovate and develop new and exciting theories, products, systems and services.

5. Listen to your mother and watch your mouth! When limiting language comes out of your mouth and limiting thoughts come into your head, have a mantra to stop. Cancel, cancel is a good one. Saying “Thanks for sharing and I chose to think (insert positive thought here) instead” when a limiting thought shows up or you are listening to someone else rant their limited views, will allow you to shift in an instant.

Always remember that you get to choose what you focus on. Energy flows where attention goes so be sure that your attention is going towards expansion and not contraction. I know I have drummed this home many times before but it is so easy to go back to our addictive thought patterns so it merits mention again. Be sure that you are spending time with people that are expanding and choosing to stay on the up side of the down economy. Limit your time with the negative Neds and sour Susans.

Share your stories of success with me. A success can be as small as a shift in mindset and as big as a huge financial win. By sharing, you honor and celebrate your success which perpetuates the success cycle. Feel free to share your ideas and tips with me and I will pass them along to my fan base. Let’s work together as empowerment partners for the good of all.

Tap into the Transformative Power of June 2011!

Heliotrope is our crystal energy for June. It forms the connective link between the quartz families of jasper and chalcedony. The color is green with flecks of red and yellow spots. The name Heliotrope is Greek and means ‘solstice’ which is thought to refer to its healing powers. Heliotrope is associated with the first, third and fourth chakras. Heliotrope is a stone of courage. It lends us courage so that we can hear the direction that our heart is calling us to and assists us in taking the first steps on our path as a spiritual warrior; one who follows the calling of their heart. Heliotrope is a stone of dreamers and stimulates dream activity.

June is such a powerful month this year and it is definitely up-leveling the energy for transformation personally and globally. On June first we had a total Solar Eclipse on the New Moon. New Moons hold powerful creative energy as it is the beginning of the waxing cycle bringing the moon back to full light. To have it coincide with a Solar Eclipse is powerful. I am not an astrologist so I am unsure exactly what it all means and I am sure there are plenty of places to find information on the internet.

June 15th brought the full moon of Gemini (strawberry moon) along with a total Lunar Eclipse. Lunar eclipses are associated with heightened emotion and awareness. I spent 5 days alone hiking the desert of Southern Utah between the new moon/solar eclipse and the full moon/lunar eclipse and it was a powerful transformative experience for me as I released the past and claimed what I want to create in the future.

June 19th, we celebrated Father’s Day and the masculine energy. I spent the day remembering my wonderful father and missing him too as he passed 8 years ago. What great energy the day brings when we honor our fathers.

Summer begins today, June 21st with the Summer Solstice at 1:16pm EDT. At the time of Summer Solstice the sun will be directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer in the Celestial Hemisphere (Winter Solstice takes place in the Tropic of Capricorn). During Summer Solstice, the sun appears to stand still meaning its noontime elevation does not seem to change. Solstice is Latin, ‘sol’ meaning ‘sun’ and ‘sistere’ meaning ‘to cause to stand still’. Summer Solstice is a time of light and fire. There are signs of solstice being celebrated and honored clear back to pre-historic Europe and there are many phenomena around the globe that have been built in honor of solstice such as Stonehenge. It is the midway checkpoint of the year and the merry time between planting and harvesting. It is the season of growing.

July 1st we experience another eclipse, this time partial solar eclipse which brings powerful energy to end the first half of the calendar year and kick off the second half. It’s time to kick our dreams and results up a notch or two.

Another celebration that is at our doorsteps is Midsummer’s Eve (June 23rd) and Midsummer’s Day (June 24th). Midsummer’s Day celebrates the feast of John the Baptist and represents the adaptation of another Christian celebration to the pagan festival of solstice. It is celebrated in much of mainland Europe. Midsummer’s Eve or Midsummer’s Night is a night of merry making; a time of joy and love. There are many superstitions surrounding this celebration and the web is full of fun information about it. Midsummer’s Day is a day for lovers and dreamers.

Take some time this week to indulge in the bewitching magic of the summer celebrations. Dream big! No, dream huge! Call on the energy of heliotrope for the courage to hear the direction that your heart is calling from. Find some time this week sit still. Grab a lawn chair or a blanket and sit outdoors, close your eyes and dream. So often we limit ourselves in our dreams. We tell ourselves that it is not possible for our dreams to come true, that they are not practical and therefore are impossible. What is the biggest dream that you can dream? Call on the creativity and imagination of your inner child. Repeat this line as you start to dream “on the wings of my fancy I can fly anywhere and the world will open its arms to me”. Don’t allow anything to stand in the way of your dreams, even if they don’t seem sensible or practical. Slay the dragons, the beasts, the evil witches and sorcerers that stand in your way. Dream in true fairy tale style. Bring in the Fairy Godmothers and Genies to assist you in making your dreams come true. Add song and music, really have fun with it and do not sensor yourself. Daydream an afternoon away. The great achievers; the movers and shakers of the world dream big and seemingly impossible dreams and then find a way to make them happen.

"The world is full of zanies and fools who don’t believe in sensible rules and won’t believe what sensible people say…and because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes keep building up impossible hopes…impossible? Things are happening every day! " —Lyrics from Rodgers and Hammersteins’s musical, Cinderella

Clean Sweep: Clearing the Way for Deliberate Creation

Spring has finally arrived in Utah after one of the wettest April on record and what seemed like forever winter. I generally begin my spring cleaning in March as the weather begins to warm and I can open the windows and haul stuff out to the lawn. Due to the weather I am getting a late start.
We associate spring cleaning with cleaning and clearing our physical space, yet there are other areas that we must consider as well.
Spring cleaning your body and lymphatic system is important to release stagnate energy and toxic build up in your body after the long winter. In winter we experience more darkness, we tend to eat heavier foods and we are less active.

Spring cleaning your mental body is critical in clearing the way for new growth and creation. Let go of beliefs, habits and behaviors that are no longer serving you.

How about an emotional cleaning? This is a big one for me this year. I have had a lot of emotional stuff on my plate. I am at the end and the beginning all at once as I complete my divorce after a 25 year relationship and I create new possibilities as a strong, single woman and mother. I have a teenager (there’s an emotional area as he tests me constantly) and a 20 year old who is finding his own wings and challenging me to let him fly. My mother has also had many health issues this year. Watching a parent age and go through health challenges also brings up some deep tribal emotions. What emotional situations need some clean up in your life?

Have you cleaned up your financial environment? In my last newsletter I wrote about how important it is to be clear and organized in the financial arena. Now that taxes are done, it is a perfect time to complete the organization.

As you do your spring cleaning, it is critical to know what you want to bring into your space as you clear old stuff out. If you are not clear and set a strong intention, you may just bring the same old stuff back in. It may be in a different package, but it will suck your energy just the same.
I have a challenge for you…a 28 day challenge. How would your life change in 28 days if you could get clear on what you want in your life and do a clean sweep to clear the way for it to show up? Are you up for the challenge? Are you ready to create something new and different in your life?
Join me for the 28 day challenge beginning Wednesday, June 15th, 2011.

Get excited for spring is in the air and it’s time for you to grow. Watch your email for info on this Clean Sweep Challenge.

Back to Basics: Create a Foundation for Your Money!

How many of you would like to have more money flow into your life this year?

How many of you feel that you have created the space and are prepared to receive more money into your life; mentally, emotionally, spiritually and in your physical environment?

We are all familiar with the Law of Attraction. This law has really gone mainstream since the movie The Secret was released and its creator, Rhonda Byrnes appeared on Oprah. I really like the movie The Secret and the principles that it emphasizes. However, there is a principle or step that the movie doesn’t emphasize that I feel is critical in the process of creation and attraction and that is the principle of conscious action.

While it is essential to change our mindset, thoughts and beliefs, it is equally important to take action based on that change and clear the way to receive what we desire and deserve. It’s also important to realize that the way to manifest is fluid not stationary. We’re involved in the process.

Today I would like to talk about creating a space in our physical environment to receive prosperity and I’d like to begin by asking you, what is the state of your current financial lifestyle?

Do you have financial papers cluttering your desk or scattered around your filing system? Do you have a filing system? Do you have stacks of unopened mail and paperwork that need attending to? Do you shove your financial records in a box or the dreaded drawer and hope that organization will happen by osmosis? Do you procrastinate when it comes to handling financial paperwork?

Money is simply not going to come into a chaotic environment! The more chaotic your financial lifestyle, the less you will be able to attract money into your life. As a rule of thumb if you have physical clutter, you have mental, emotional, and spiritual clutter as well.

Studies show that 90% of the population lives most of their lives where 85% is chaos and only 15% is orderly and organized. This same 90% of the population is unhappy with the results that they are receiving. They believe that there could be something more, but they don’t know how to achieve it.

I teach a 3 step process to assist in bringing order to your financial lifestyle by organizing your Financial Filing System. It’s a system that I learned from Loral Langemeier, The Millionaire Maker, when I was coaching for her. I have modified it for you and I’d liked to briefly share that with you today.

Let’s begin with step One in this process, which is Gathering: To initiate this process you’re going to gather together all of your documents that represent incoming and outgoing money in your life. Documents like credit card statements, bank statements, personal payables, cash expenses and pay check stubs. Also, investment portfolio, wills, insurance policies, financial planning documents, and all related legal documents such as deeds, social security information, birth certificates and such.

Step Two in the process is Sort and File: In this step you will separate these documents into like kind. To do this you will probably need to spread out across the floor or table and if you own your own business, you will want to do this for your business as well. In one pile you will have your CC statements, in another cash expenses, in other words, sort and match. Once they are sorted you will create labels and file the documents. Be sure to supply yourself with what you need to complete this important project.

The final step is Document: You want to create a master list of the files in your cabinet. You will list the type of file such as American Express Card, the account number, 888-444-000, and where it is located in the cabinet such as front half in top drawer or third file from front in top drawer. Be as detailed as you feel you need to be. Once you have your master list complete, make copies and place one in the front of the file cabinet, one with a trusted friend or family member and one in a safe deposit box.

When you have completed this step, you will have your financial life sorted for your loved ones. This way should something happen to you; your loved ones won’t be swimming through your chaos to find important paperwork. None of us are going to get out of this life alive so think of this project as a labor of love for your family.

It is important to know that good record keeping is an essential part of building a foundation for sound financial management. It’s an attractor factor. As Loral Langemeier puts it, “Do Paperwork or be Poor”.

Your organized financial filing cabinet will provide a firm foundation to build your wealth upon. Remember that money is not going to come into an environment where it is not wanted. Therefore, I invite you to take an honest look at your financial lifestyle this week and see if you can bring it to a higher state of order. Show the Universe that you are truly ready to receive.

I want to conclude with a quote by Napoleon Hill, author of the book Think and Grow Rich.

“If you are one of those people who think that hard work and honesty alone will bring riches, perish the though! It is not true. Riches, when they come in huge quantities, are never the result of hard work. Riches come, if they come at all, in response to definite demands based upon the application of definite principles, and not by chance or luck.”

©2010 Annette Pieper, The Soul Power Coach is a Success Strategist, highly sought motivational speaker, author, coach, trainer, mentor and CEO of Vision 2 Reality Training a company offering private and group consultations, webinars, workshops, seminars and educational material to inform, inspire and motivate you to awaken your inner power for Soul Powered Success. Sign up to receive her free “Stop Procrastinating” audio download at http://www.annettepieper.com
Feel free to share this article. This bio must be included in any distribution or usage of this article.

Annette Pieper
Building Success with Heart!

Cultivate Inner Peace this Holiday Season

“Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men”. Many times this statement doesn’t fit the holiday season as we hustle and bustle about, looking for the perfect gifts, dealing with the traffic and crowds and trying to make it to all of the holiday functions that we are invited to. We can become concerned and stressed about money or about the calories that we are consuming.

Many of us try to cram as much into the holiday season as we possibly can, leaving us sleep-deprived and irritable. Sometimes the stress that we encounter is not our own, but someone else who is assaulting us with their stress and negativity. These scenarios can be far from peaceful.

As you go through the holiday season, take time to ground yourself and align with the higher purpose of the season with a meditation practice. Taking just 5 minutes in the morning to be still and connect with your higher self can take the edge off of stressful situations and allow you to bring yourself back into the present moment when life feels out of kilter.

Find a quiet space and sit with your spine aligned in an upright position, notice your breathing pattern and call on the energy of the Divine Spirit to bring you to a deep place within. You can sit on a chair, lie on the floor, or sit on anything that will allow you to align your spine so your energy can freely flow through the chakras.

Put yourself at the top of your to-do list and still yourself in the morning and again in the evening before bed. A combination of meditation, affirmations and exercise each morning will allow you to present yourself to the world as the powerful gift that you are. An evening practice will allow you to let go of the day and prepare for slumber. Also, remember that stress triggers emotional eating, especially sugar cravings and other fast acting carbohydrates, which are plentiful during the holidays. This emotional eating combined with stress is a set-up for stomach upset, indigestion and heartburn, which in turn compounds the stress.

Take time to build a meditation practice if you don’t have one already and let this season be the true blessing of peace, love and joy that it is meant to be.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me, let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. –Jill Jackson Miller (Lyrics from “The Peace Song” or "Let There Be Peace On Earth")

Listen to the song

Confirmation from the Universe

Have you ever had an insight or idea and suddenly something shows up in your awareness that lets you know that perhaps you are on the right track? That happened to me just this past weekend.

I was in Lake Oswego, Oregon with my Mastermind group and we were working on my branding for my business and my new success system. After doing some intuitive work around what would be an authentic representation of the essence of me, my business and my system, we mind stormed some ideas that really resonated with everyone. I was experiencing some resistance, not sure if I wanted to shift my branding again even though the new ideas were sounding pretty cool and a lot more like me. I set an intention to release my resistance and be open to the new theme.

On Sunday morning, I left to drive back to Salt Lake and the first song that I heard on the radio was “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield and the lyrics went right along with the new branding ideas that we had come up with, the idea of being authentic with your core essence and opening up the dirty window (my limited thinking) to let the light from the sun illuminate the blank page (me). I thought that was pretty cool and got spirit bumps (goose bumps) letting me know that spirit was speaking to me.

Later that day after a long drive, I arrived at the lodge I was staying at in Bend, Oregon. I decided to unwind at the end of the evening and watch a little TV. I turned on the TV and the first movie I turned to was “Remember the Titans”. The part that was playing was when they were in the gym and they were singing about Soul Power. Again this went right along with the branding theme we had generated the day before. Then it came to the part where they introduced Ronnie (Sunshine) Bass. Sunshine was also key to the theme and then more about Soul Power. I had spirit bumps through the entire movie letting me know that I was on the right track.

In order to receive that confirmation from the Universe I needed to be open to the messages. I had to be an empty vessel for spirit to drop those hints into my awareness. That’s the power of intention and letting go of resistance.
Where in your life do you need to drop your resistance, your judgments and your limitations and become an open vessel for spirit to speak to you? How would your life and your business change if you allowed yourself to be in that space?
I invite you to take a chance. Set an intention to drop the resistance to the intuitive guidance that you are receiving and be open to the messages the Universe and Spirit have to offer you. If you do not see any benefit, you can always go back to resisting. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot.

Do you need more clarity? Sign up for the Possibility Café Tele-seminar series on Clarity as I launch my new success system.

Natasha Bedingfield: Unwritten

Remember the Titans movie clips:

Clip 1

Clip 2

So You Have A Great Idea, Now What?

Do you have an idea to grow your business or to start a business? Perhaps it’s an idea for a new product, a new system or a new approach to marketing. You know it’s a great idea, maybe even a million dollar idea and you’re stuck. You don’t know what to do next.

I see this time and time again and it has even happened to me. Years ago I had an idea for a book but I didn’t know what to do with it. Thoughts came to my mind such as how am I going to organize it, where would I find the time to write it, would anybody buy it, who would publish it, how would I sell it…basically my mind frick took over and stopped me cold in my tracks. It suddenly seemed overwhelming and that’s where I stopped until recently when I made the decision to take my idea into reality.

Here are some steps that I have learned over the years that I use to help my clients (and myself) move forward with an idea.

1. Get it written down in an idea book. Even if your idea is not feasible now you can develop it later or even sell it. It may even be a million dollar idea so get it down in your idea notebook so that
you do not lose the idea.

2. Chunk it down. If it seems too big or overwhelming, chunk or break it down into smaller steps. This is where our mind frick gets the best of us, when it seems overwhelming we have a tendency to put it aside.

3. Look at it sideways, backwards, up-side down…look at all the different sides and angles of your idea to see if it is feasible or what type of help you may need to get it off the ground.

4. Start talking about it, get support. Now you might be saying “but Annette, I don’t want to share, I don’t want anyone to steal my idea”. Yes it can be scary and there is always that potential. This is where a coach or advisor can really assist you. You can bounce you ideas off of them, get feedback and put together an action plan.

Your coach must be operating from the highest level of integrity. A great coach or advisor provides confidentiality and the highest level of integrity with their clients.

5. Get into action. Once you have created your action plan get moving. You can revise it as you need to and action is your best strategy.

Are you ready to get that idea growing now? It’s like planning a mountaineering expedition. It begins with an idea and before you know it you are on the top of the Mountain of Success, staking your claim on the summit and planting your victory flag.

I invite you to join me on the Possibility Café tele-seminar for an hour of value packed information to launch your own business expedition. I will be sharing ideas and strategies to climb the Mountain of Success so please join me. Register today!