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You want to start a business or you already have – that’s amazing! You’re on the right track to achieving your dreams. That’s a great start. We all have dreams for a reason. That dream was given to you. It was planted in your mind for you to do something with it – but what you do with it is what matters.

We can all live in the face of fear. Heck, it’s easier isn’t it? Letting fear control you so that you don’t take chances? When you do this, there’s no risk of failure, right? Sure, that may be true, but then you risk feeling regret and let me tell you, the risk of regret is MUCH larger than the fear of failure.

It’s time to put those excuses behind you. It’s time to go after your dreams, no matter how big they are – it’s time to make the reality. It’s time to learn how to push those fears aside, take the steps necessary to create your business and how to make that business the more powerful than you ever thought possible.

Yes, this all may sound scary; trust me, I’ve been in your shoes. But you know what? I took those fears, pushed them aside and created not one but many businesses. Today, I’m here to share the ups and downs with you. I’m here to help you learn from my mistakes and to show you how I built the most powerful businesses I ever dreamt of so that you too can do the same.

It all starts with this one phrase ‘no more excuses.’ Are you ready to join me? Let’s get started.

GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION

First, you must give yourself permission to go after your dreams. You may not even know what those dreams are right now. If not, start there. Think about what’s on your heart. Ask yourself expansive questions to see what’s important to you, what is it that you want to create?

Once you have a sense of where you want to be, it’s time to give yourself permission – permission to reach your goals. No, there isn’t going to be a fairy godmother that comes down and waves her magic wand, giving you permission to move forward. You have to give yourself that permission. It’s time to go after what you want. Isn’t that enough of a reason to get going?

Yes, you are going to take risks. Heck, you may even stumble and that’s okay! It’s a part of the process. It’s how you handle those stumbles that matter. Mistakes aren’t bad unless you don’t learn from them. What does that mean? It means asking for help. It means looking around for supportive people – the people that believe in your hopes and dreams. You need the people that understand your vision and want to see you succeed.

It also means distancing yourself from those that aren’t supportive. Don’t let them take the power from you. It’s time to regain that power, surround yourself with those that believe in you and take the next steps to move forward.

GET INSPIRED

Inspiration is everywhere you look if you open your eyes wide enough. Look for people (like me) that have been there, done that. Listen to their message. What did they go through? What do they wish they did different? What did they do that was so awesome that it led them to the amazing heights they are at today? These are the people you want to inspire you.

Look for impactful messages. You’ll find them everywhere – websites, podcasts, blog posts, and social media pages. Be selective about you who follow – don’t follow the ‘fakers’. Only follow those that have true success and can inspire you to be where you want to be. Not everyone is going to align with your beliefs and that’s okay. It’s up to you to find out who aligns with you and follow them.

FIND MOTIVATION

You need the will to work. Starting a business is hard – I’m not going to sugar-coat it. You need the will to pick up the pieces when you make mistakes. You need the ability to give yourself grace when things go wrong and you need the energy to reach your goals.

Motivation brings joy and happiness. When you feel motivated, you won’t have to work hard to find the motivation – it will drive you. It’s when you focus on what’s missing that you lose motivation. Are you looking at the glass half empty or half full? That’s where it’s at. Focus on the half empty and you are going to find the problems with starting and running your business and you’re going to run out of gas fast. If you focus on the half full aspect, you are going to see your progress and keep moving forward.

It’s all about creating your life, not just surviving it. Focus on the things that you can control. These are the things that are possible. When you focus on everything, the possible and impossible, your motivation will go flying out the window. You can make a difference in the world, but you need the motivation to do it.

LEARN HOW TO APPLY IT

So you know where you want to go and you know where you are now. The space in between there is application. Action is what paves the way to achieving your dreams. Sure, anyone can have dreams, but only a select few actually achieve them. Why? Not everyone puts in the action or the work necessary to meet those dreams.

Action means taking one step at a time. It means taking the time to adjust when things don’t go right and trust me, they won’t always go right. If you plan your actions, you can then put them to work. But again, give yourself grace throughout the entire process. Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake. It happens. In fact, mistakes are good – they give you a chance to learn and to grow.

It’s all about adjusting. If you make a mistake, stop and learn from it. Where do you need to go from here? Readjust the plan, put the action steps into place and then get back to work. It’s all a learning process that when put together will create a beautiful outcome.

IMPLEMENTING YOUR STEPS

So you’ve put in the work and you’ve thought about the actions you need to take. Now it’s time to put your actions where your words are. It’s time to implement. Make sure your steps are practical – reachable. Don’t make them so overarching that you set yourself up for failure – that’s certainly not motivating. Instead, keep the steps simple and doable. Make it so that you see progress quickly and easily. This will keep your motivation going and push you to keep growing and doing.

Life is not meant to do alone – you need support! Starting a business is an amazing dream, but it’s hard work. Running and growing a business is even harder. Don’t do it alone. Find inspiration, read about successes and failures and surround yourself with those that believe in you. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to building the foundation for a successful business.

Money can be such a triggering word. For many, it brings about negative words like judgment, lack, insecurity, or jealousy.

Those aren’t pleasant feelings and they don’t do you or anyone else any good.

Now just because you’ve had those feelings doesn’t make you a ‘bad’ person. We’ve all felt them, but now is the time to shift them.

If you want to up-level your income and create more impact, do more amazing things, contribute more, and help more people, read on.

IDENTIFY YOUR TRIGGERS

First, identify your triggers. What happens when you hear the word money? Do you run away – hoping the conversation will end? Do you feel filled with rage or jealousy?

Facing those feelings is the start because if we never talk about it and never decide where we want to be – we’ll never get there.

Think about why you are triggered. What are you feeling? Is it something from your childhood or something someone taught you? Is it a comment someone made to you one time that stuck with you? Is it a belief system you’ve bought into?

Facing these feelings – identifying them, unwrapping them, and figuring out how to get through them is where the growth starts.

WHAT IS YOUR MONEY MINDSET?

Where do your beliefs about money come from? Some people are programmed to think money is evil. Your community, culture, and family subconsciously create these feelings. Money could be negative without you realizing it.

Everything gets downloaded in your mind. You run these unconscious programs, but you don’t realize it.

THEY AFFECT YOUR LIFE TODAY.

It’s not right or wrong – your family only knows what they know. That’s what they teach you. But hearing other ways may help you shift your mindset.

Take buying a house for example. We’ve all been raised thinking that paying double for a house is normal. You pay the sales price, but then you borrow the money for 30 years, paying the sales price all over again in interest. That’s normal, but talking about money isn’t?

Yes, money causes challenges and stress. But it’s worth diving into those topics to fix the issues.

If you keep the negative money mindset, your beliefs will hold you back in your conscious and subconscious.

It’s human nature. We need to be consistent with the blueprint that we use to define ourselves. If you think you aren’t worth the money, you don’t deserve money, or money never comes to you – you speak that into existence and that’s what occurs.

But, if you think money is energy and can amplify who you already are, it will come to you. If you have a great relationship with money it will amplify who you are whether that’s good, bad, or indifferent.

For example, if you are kind, giving, and generous, then you can do amazing things when you have more money. You can have more impact and do more in the world.

If you come from a place of lack, you can’t contribute. You can’t make as much of a difference as you would like. You can’t do those extra things when you can’t pay your bills and make ends meet.

You must embody the mindset that you’ll always have more than you’ll need. If we believe that we never have enough – we never will. If you believe money is abundant and comes to you effortlessly, then that is what will happen.

These are your core values. They are what you speak into existence and make happen, but then, of course, you have to do the work. Money needs direction. You need a plan or you have a plan to fail.

DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS

Comparing yourself creates lack and envy.

Just like you have health goals, have personal financial goals. They are yours, and no one else’s.

Don’t compare your finances to anyone but yourself.

When you feel jealousy or lack, every time you compare yourself it shifts you back into lack. You don’t know their situation. They could be putting themselves in debt. Is that where you want to be? You shouldn’t.

Instead, focus on you.

Start a daily gratitude practice. Before you get out of bed each day, think of at least five things you are grateful for. If you have more time, don’t stop there – keep acknowledging what you’re grateful for.

Even on the days, you don’t think you have anything to be grateful for – get out of that lack mindset. If you’re here, you have a computer or phone. You probably have a house and a car. You have a family (of any sort). You have electricity, food, water, etc.

You have more than most. Even in the worst times.

Shift your mindset to gratitude and stop the scarcity mindset. Step into the abundance that is here for you. Stop participating in gossip and lack. That’s how you shape future generations.

If you say ‘I’ll never be able to afford that’ you just spoke it into existence. It happens without you realizing it. Get rid of it.

It’s okay to realize you have a negative money mindset – you just need to breakthrough. And up-level your money mindset.

DEBT – THE WORST FINANCIAL DECISION

Debt is a four-letter word no one wants to talk about.

It’s everywhere – ads, social media, and in everyday conversations. When you use credit cards or finance a house or car, you create this mirage that you’re worth it and/or are successful, but in reality, you’re draining your finances.

This causes more stress, pressure, and overwhelm. Instead, focus on what you can afford. If you can’t write a check for it – don’t buy it. If you have to finance it, such as a house, make sure it’s for the short-term – don’t pay more than necessary.

Focus on your ability to generate income. This is the best way to increase your wealth. As you age, this slows down, so having a solid financial framework is important for your future.

Your financial framework is about what you keep, not just what you make. Optimize write-offs, don’t pay crazy interest rates, and structure your company correctly for tax advantages. Work with a professional so you get the most deductions – keeping as much money as possible.

You have to be prepared for anything. Do you have cash reserves? You should have at least 3 to 6 months of expenses on hand should an emergency strike. Job loss, illnesses, and natural disasters all threaten your financial freedom – getting prepared now ensures you make it through no matter what life throws at you.

Everything shifts drastically. Just look at Netflix and Blockbuster or Uber and taxis – no one could have predicted the world would change this month. You have to be ready for anything.

This means focusing on your insurance needs and focusing on retirement. You can’t focus on these with debt. You need to be present, debt-free, and aware of what you need. What type of insurance do you need? What coverage will make a disaster easier at least financially?

Your money mindset plays a major role in your personal financial mindset and your business mindset. It’s time to get yourself in a positive financial mindset. Now is the best time to work on reframing how you look at money. Are you ready to take your money mindset to the next level? There’s no better time to start than today!

Before you put your sign out front, publish your website, or even utter a word about your business, you have to build a brand. This is the foundation of your business. If you’re thinking ‘uh oh I’ve already opened my business but I know I didn’t build a brand,’ don’t worry. Yes, you need to pedal backward a bit and create your base, but it’s completely possible with the right motivation.

WHAT IS BRANDING?

Don’t confuse branding with marketing. Yes, it’s a common mistake, but it’s one of the worst mistakes you can make for your business. Branding IS NOT marketing – yes, the two strategies when combined work amazing. They bring in traffic, leads and customers, but without the right branding message, you won’t bring in that traffic or if you do, it won’t be around long.

Branding is your mission. It’s what makes you different from all of the other businesses out there. It’s what makes you stand out. If you haven’t even started thinking about your brand, use these questions to help drive you:

• Why are you different? What will you offer that differs from what others in your industry offer?
• What do you want people to think of your business?
• What images or feelings do you want to bring to people’s minds?

Overall, branding creates a feeling. It’s your identity to the customer. Here are a few examples:

• Think of Starbucks. What comes to mind? Coziness, excitement, a feeling of belonging, and luxury are probably just a few. Yes, people pay crazy prices for what comes down to a cup of coffee, but it’s not just about the coffee – it’s about the branding. It’s the feeling people get when they think of Starbucks, say its name, or talk about going there.
• Think of Walmart, TJ Maxx or H&M now. You probably don’t get the same feelings or visions, right? It’s not a bad thing. They aren’t bad stores. They just cater to a different demographic. They have a different mission. They want people to walk out of their stores thinking ‘gosh, I just got the best deal, what a value!’

These two brands are completely different and yet they have so much in common. They are both strong brands that cater to their beliefs and their missions. They instill the feelings in their customers that they want their brand to have.

Think of your branding as your identity to the customer. This is the case whether you sell products or services and whether you operate in person or online. Customers are sizing you up before they enter your store, click on your link and definitely before they make a purchase.

How do you Want to Stand Out?

Here’s the question you need to ask yourself – how do you want to stand out? What do you want your brand to portray? Are you looking to provide the best quality or a more affordable product or service? This is how you speak to the right target audience and how you grow your business.

Believe it or not, your branding speaks much louder than your marketing. You need a brand that speaks to customers – telling them what they want to hear and showing them how they will feel when patronizing your business.

Think of it this way. When you choose your brand or your way to stand out, you create your blueprint. This is the START of your business. It’s the foundation. Can you build a house without a solid foundation? While you might be able to it certainly won’t be steady and won’t last long. No matter the quality of the materials you build the house with, it’s the foundation that lays the land so to speak.

That’s why you need your brand – your way to stand out. Don’t make the mistake of putting marketing first. Marketing doesn’t make you stand out. It just puts your business ‘in the face’ of your audience, but if they don’t know or understand what you’re putting in their face, marketing isn’t going to help on its own.

BRANDING TAKES WORK

Yes, branding is a lot of work. It’s the voice of your brand and it’s up to you to create it. You have to create that message or purpose. This is what your marketing will center around and enforce for you but it will NOT create it for you – the branding creates it.

Think of it this way. What is your business brand? Are you looking to be the absolute best? Are you looking to offer luxury and high prices or are you looking for that local mom and pop type establishment that everyone falls in love with and frequents often because of the coziness and the value? Neither one is right or wrong – it’s all about who and what you want to be.

THE 11 NECESSARY STEPS

So you probably want a blueprint or a step-by-step instruction manual to help you create your brand, right? I’m here to walk you through it. I will help you get to the heart of what makes you tick – what makes your business unique. At the end of this, you’ll know how to create the reason that people will want to buy from you.

1. DEFINE YOUR BRAND

This is a journey of business self-discovery. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it time-consuming? Yes. Is it uncomfortable? YES. This is the meat and potatoes of your business though. Think about your mission or your purpose. What is it that you want to accomplish with your business? This is where you need to start. Just start jotting down ideas – brainstorming. Things will come to you once you just start, but you have to give yourself the time and grace to make it happen.

2. ASK YOURSELF WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND FEATURES OF THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES YOU OFFER?

What problem does your product or service solve? What feelings does it enlist? What need does it feed? In other words, what do people really get out of what you’re selling and more importantly, what makes it different than all of the others already in the business? What sets you apart – makes you more valuable, better, or more worthy?

3. WHAT DO YOUR CUSTOMERS ALREADY THINK OF YOUR BUSINESS?

If you already have a business, these answers are out there. It’s time to take the blinders off and truly see what others think. Do you have a social media page? The answers were there for you then. See what others say about it. Read the reviews and look at comments people leave. Yes, some may be off the wall rude, but there’s some truth to many of them, so check it out. Do you provide surveys to your customers? Read the feedback. Put your ego aside, don’t take it personal, but use the feedback to help you create the brand that people want.

4. WHAT DO YOU WANT CUSTOMERS TO THINK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?

Think about your mission again. Are you looking to be the ‘Ritz Carlton’ in your industry or the ‘Walmart?’ This does not mean one is better than the other – they just each serve different demographics and provide different values. You need to know what values you want your business to offer and then you must do your research. Ask questions of your target audience – find out what they want to make your business truly unique and valuable.

5. CREATE A CLEAR AND COMPELLING VISION.

This comes down to you. What is your vision? Why are you going all-in on this? Be loud about it. Tell everyone you know about it and surround yourself with those that truly support your vision. This may be friends and family or it may be complete strangers that you meet in a networking group. Your support may be in-person or it may be online. Join groups, make new friends and put yourself with people that have the same goals, ideas, and motivation.

6. WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER?

This sounds crazy. You probably think, ‘well whoever buys my product is my customer.’ That’s not it though. You need to know who you are targeting, who are you talking to? You need to get intimate with these people. You need to know their problems and figure out how you can solve them. That’s what’s going to set you apart from everyone else.

7. ESTABLISH YOUR MESSAGING.

What is your core philosophy? You will need to communicate this through all of your messaging. This includes email, social media, and advertising. It all needs to coincide. Everything you put out there aligns with who and what you are, creating the same feeling whether your customer is reading an email from you or standing in your physical store.

8. DEVELOP YOUR BRAND CREATIVE ELEMENTS.

This is your visual identity. Think of the colors, font styles, and logos for your business. Your brand voice should be consistent and unique. It should be recognizable. Think of the McDonald’s arches. I’m pretty sure even 1-year olds can recognize those arches. That’s what you want – instant recognition.

9. HOW CAN YOU MAKE YOUR CULTURE, MISSION, AND VISION A PART OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO?

You need to make everyone around you that supports your business your evangelists. You have to inscribe your mission and culture in everything that has to do with your business so that the message gets out there and stays there.

10. HOW DO YOU WANT TO SERVE PEOPLE?

Customer service is a huge piece of the puzzle. You are in the people business no matter what you sell. Even if you operate only online – there are people behind those computer screens. Don’t worry about numbers, leads, or funnels. Instead, focus on the person that is giving up their hard-earned money and time to patronize your business. Treat each person special and find ways to thank them for choosing your business over all of the others.

11. HOW CAN YOU BE UNIQUELY AWESOME?

This is the bread and butter right here. How can you stand out from your competition? What can you do different that brings value and instills the feelings you want in your target audience? You need clarity and focus here – you don’t want to create the things that are already out there. Don’t duplicate what already exists – find a way to stand out and be uniquely awesome or you’ll find yourself lost in an endless sea. It takes focus and consistency.

Take the time to create your business blueprint – you won’t be sorry! It’s the foundation that sets the stage for your business’s success. I promise with the right blueprint, the rest of the steps will be much easier and success will be within your reach.

It was December 27, 2014. 15 years of growing multiple businesses and 9 years of building a non-profit, yet I never took a week long vacation. I was literally on the verge of complete burn out.

I have been grinding since high school. Building businesses, providing opportunities and committed to giving back in a big way. For as long as I can remember, I had always taken on far more than I should, and stretched myself beyond thin. I USED TO take pride in being insanely scheduled and busy.

My health was deteriorating, and I decided to take a month off. For the first eight days of that trip, utter exhaustion confined me to the bed in that hotel room.

That week I made a decision. I chose to stop defining myself as a workaholic with no time for anything else. I had been so focused on breaking free of poverty and abuse, I didn’t realize I did and just replaced it with a life of stress and overwhelm.

I knew better. But I also knew that in an INSTANT, I could redefine who I was and how I wanted to live.

I left that room on the 8th day and went for a long walk in the mountains. It was then that I chose who I was going to be and how I was going to show up. I had to dig deep to uncover what beliefs I was hanging onto that may have served me in one part of my life but weren’t serving me any longer.

Do you have any beliefs that used to serve you during one period of your life but may be holding you back now?

Have you given yourself an identity or label that’s isn’t congruent with who you WANT to be in this stage of your life?

We must always be cautious of the labels we give ourselves. If you say you’re “stressed, overwhelmed and anxious” — that’s exactly how you’ll be. And if you say you’re “energetic, loving and courageous” — that’s exactly how you’ll be.

What words are you going to use to define YOU? Your words can breathe life into your soul or they can cripple your success and happiness. Choose carefully.

Have you ever stopped for a moment and looked back at how far you’ve come?

Like WOW. What if we all stopped for one second and gave ourselves a little credit?

What if we chose to look back 5 years ago, 10 years ago and DECIDED to see all the good? See our wins regardless how small. See the accomplishments we fought to achieve. See the growth in who we’ve become.

I am so guilty of this. I’m always so focused on who I want to be and where I want to go that I never stop and honor the person I already am.

You are here. You made it this far.
No you aren’t perfect. Sure it might not have been pretty. It might not have been the path you thought you were going to take and quite frankly parts of it probably sucked. But look how far you’ve come! ??

It seems like no matter how focused we are or what stage of life where are in, we tend to always catch the disease of “not enoughism”.

We didn’t do it fast enough.
We didn’t do it big enough.
We didn’t earn enough money.
We didn’t lose enough weight.
We didn’t gain enough muscle.
We didn’t give enough.
We didn’t say enough.
Enough of not being enough.

Celebrate the journey and honor the challenge of what brought you to today. You made it this far! You are doing better than you thought! You are on this earth for a reason and may we never forget that WE have a purpose.

It was December 27, 2014. 15 years of growing multiple businesses and 9 years of building a non-profit, yet I never took a week long vacation. I was literally on the verge of complete burn out.

I have been grinding since high school. Building businesses, providing opportunities and committed to giving back in a big way. For as long as I can remember, I had always taken on far more than I should, and stretched myself beyond thin. I USED TO take pride in being insanely scheduled and busy.

My health was deteriorating, and I decided to take a month off. For the first eight days of that trip, utter exhaustion confined me to the bed in that hotel room.

That week I made a decision. I chose to stop defining myself as a workaholic with no time for anything else. I had been so focused on breaking free of poverty and abuse, I didn’t realize I did and just replaced it with a life of stress and overwhelm.

I knew better. But I also knew that in an INSTANT, I could redefine who I was and how I wanted to live.

I left that room on the 8th day and went for a long walk in the mountains. It was then that I chose who I was going to be and how I was going to show up. I had to dig deep to uncover what beliefs I was hanging onto that may have served me in one part of my life but weren’t serving me any longer.

Do you have any beliefs that used to serve you during one period of your life but may be holding you back now?

Have you given yourself an identity or label that’s isn’t congruent with who you WANT to be in this stage of your life?

We must always be cautious of the labels we give ourselves. If you say you’re “stressed, overwhelmed and anxious” — that’s exactly how you’ll be. And if you say you’re “energetic, loving and courageous” — that’s exactly how you’ll be.

What words are you going to use to define YOU? Your words can breathe life into your soul or they can cripple your success and happiness. Choose carefully.