What makes someone THINK like an Entrepreneur?
And what makes an entrepreneur successful?
We all know that working for yourself - and creating something from nothing requires a much different mindset than being an employee.
But what is the difference?
Professor Saras Sarasvathy,from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia has done some research about this very question.
According to Professor Sarasvathy, entrepreneurs begin with strong skills in three categories:
Who I Am - my skills and talents
What I Know - my education and expertise,
Who I'm Connected To - my propinquity network, my friends and allies
And they use these skills to create the future they desire.
Those who lack an entrepreneurial mind, on the other hand, are engaged in "causal reasoning" beginning with a pre-determined goal in mind and seeking the fastest, cheapest and most efficient way to accomplish the goal. It's the world of let's make a plan and then plan it again.
Entrepreneurs start with a great idea, look at their skills and talents, their education, their network and gather the resources they need as they go along.
If you'd like more information about thinking like an entrepreneur - I'll be at the Boulder Business Development Club on Wed morning at 7 :30 am. The topic is "Open Door Close Deal - Stop net working and build a network" It's about building your propinquity network, and by the way, it's free!
More importantly, where are you going?
Every successful person I know has had a defining moment. A crossroads when things weren't going right, in fact everything had crumbled before their eyes.
You've got a moment like that, in fact maybe you've just lived through it.
Napoleon Hill said "All who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and the turning point comes at the moment of crisis."
I spend a lot of my day talking to small business owners just like you. Some are still going through the fire, but an increasing number are seeing business improve!
One guy told me that this April has been his best April in two years!
There has never been a better time to grow a business, to find hidden opportunities, to create success for yourself. The time is now. Go for it. Remember:
What you've come through doesn't predict where you're going.
Only YOU can decide what you'll turn your defining moment into.
Have a great week!
Dawn
According to Native thinking, everyone and everything is connected through a web of relationships. The individual is valued, but only in terms of his relationships with others, and it's relationships that define him.
I call that Relationship Collateral.
A major component of building your identity is in the printed pieces you put in the hands of your customer - marketing collateral.
It's those promotional materials like brochures; flyers; business cards, website, etc.
We go to huge lengths to make sure our marketing collateral is compiled in a professional and attractive manner, well presented and not just a random mix of chaos.
Every piece of marketing collateral that you put into the hands of your customers sends a message to your customers.
In the same way, every interaction you have with your clients sends a message to them.
And it's that message that makes people decide if they want to continue to interact with you.
Not only do those encounters define you in your clients eyes, the relationships you have in the community add to that.
Relationship collateral. These days, it's everything.
Relationship collateral is equity in the bank in networking.
It's your reputation, how you're perceived in the community.
You can go to all the networking events in the world, but without the basics of
relationship collateral, you STILL won't have any business!
1. Do the right thing, even if no one's looking.
2. Help people feel great every time they see you.
3. Connect people with those that can help them the most.
4. Tell the truth, right up front.
5. Show up. On time. Or call.
6. If you say it, do it. Or don't even open your mouth.
7. Build a large network, nourish it, but don't harvest it until you need it.
A wise friend told me people don't care how much you know, they care about how much you care, but what people really remember is how they felt when they were with you.
You can foster a sense of trust with people through consistent and well-designed promotional materials AND by making sure that who you are as a person - your positive business collateral - precedes you in the community.
Go help someone feel great -
Warm Regards,
Dawn
"The future is disorder. A door like this has opened up only five or six times since we got up on our hind legs. It's the best possible time to be alive. . ." - Tom Stoppard
One order of stability and predictability. Make that 'to go" please, with a large order of fun on the side. Isn't this what we all want?
To know beyond any doubt that everything is going to be all right? Have you noticed - everybody seems so freaked out right now - and certainly the events of the last few months have contributed to that.
What is fear, anyway? It's our inability to make our personal experience something we can predict, something that's stable. When we can't predict what will happen next, we get afraid.
It is not that you shouldn't feel fear, it is just time to use the feeling of fear to your advantage. Let fear become the pointer that shows you that the direction you're looking is the wrong direction!
You already know that what you focus on and think about is what you get more of. . .
Fear is magnetic, in its own right. Some are mesmerized by it. Some use it to sell, to control, to entice you to participate with them. Ask yourself this: when did predictability become the expectation for life?
The need to feel secure is really only a bad habit. The truth is that any one of us could choke on our Wheaties before we leave the breakfast table tomorrow.
News Flash!
You could decide to feel secure even if you don't know what's going to happen next.
What would you need to believe to feel secure and safe, even to create an amazing day TODAY?
Just know this. Never before on this planet has there been the mass belief that it is our inalienable right to be comfortable, such as is happening right now. Why do people believe that they must be comfortable and safe and only then is the world okay?
This discomfort is a sensation, not the focus. Use it as a guide, put your back to the fear and look to the sun - it is coming up and warming the earth every day. The rains are falling and watering the ground. Look around you for evidence of positive success and focus on that - what is working?
Email me back and let me know -
Big Hugs,
This week I had a conversation with a business owner whose business is expanding. He's adding some additional floor space to his business (despite the "economy" many people that I see are still thriving) and was looking at square foot price and potential profit per square foot.
He said to me "I've been thinking about the worst case scenario - I know you don't really like to think about that kind of thing" .
I assured him that was not the case at all. Worst case can be quickly changed around, once you acknowledge it.
And knowing what's the worst that could happen is actually pretty freeing.
Defining the worst that COULD happen allows you to define what you don't want, and to create exactly what you do want. It's almost as though by having a plan to "survive" if the unthinkable happens you allow yourself the opportunity to take the opportunity at hand.
Knowing exactly what you might do if the unthinkable happens lets you move forward with confidence as you take a calculated risk.
I'm sure you've done this but maybe not acknowledged yourself for it.
Okay, so here's your fun for the week: Define Your Worst to Embrace the Best.
What's your biggest opportunity right now? What's the worst that could happen if you move forward and what's your plan to handle it? NOW - how can you move forward and take advantage of the opportunities around you?
Remember what Mario Andretti said: "If everything is totally under control, you are going to slow".
Have a great week!
Okay, so no question.
Change is here. . .
We're in the midst of creating a new way of doing business, with new expectations and new standards expected.
Seems everyone's business is shape shifting right now. Interestingly, though, as I talk to business owners during the course of my day, I'm hearing a general sense of optimism that seems to be growing.
People are beginning to find the exhilaration in being an edge-dweller - and the fun of creating just for the joy of it.
Are you finding the abundance of opportunities available to you?
So here's my challenge to you:
This week, answer this question -
THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO ________________.
Make your list now and add to it all week.
It's a good time to be self employed.
It's a good time to find a way to help other people market their businesses.
It's a good time to help people save money.
It's a good time spend more time with family.
Maybe it's not supposed to be perfectly calm, (boring?) and predictable.
After all, the edge is usually where you learn the most. . .
The Working Wounded - Does this describe you?
Feeling like everything has changed so much that you can't really predict anything?
Are you trying to manage your stress about work ,life, family?
Maybe managing your stress is NOT what you need to be doing right now.
Maybe developing your resiliency is.
Resiliency is related to confidence and a positive outlook.
It's a component of emotional intelligence and it's the ability to bounce back from adversity and disappointment and thrive even in the toughest times.
It's what separates the successful from the wanna-be's .
Life can throw you a curve, and it may not be the way you expect it to be.
Instead, life is the way it is.
When you find yourself in a stressful situation, there are three key questions to ask yourself:
1. What opportunities are there in this situation?
2. What helpful resources do I have within and around me?
3. How can I use these resources to identify an opportunity?
How you cope with what can't be changed makes the difference in how resilient you are.
Look for ways to start your day well, and choose to be optimistic about its outcome.
Find things to be grateful for. With time you will regain your momentum and feel good about who you are.
To Happiness and Resiliency -
Dawn
Are you a Yes person or a No person?
For that matter, is your company a YES company or a NO company?
In other words, if your customer or client asks to do something over and above what you normally do, is your first thought to say yes and do it gladly, or say no and feel guilty?
The truth is probably somewhere in between and depends on what you're being asked to do and by whom.
When we work with customers that are a good fit for us, typically those out of the box requests don't feel so burdensome. We like this customer, so a request is usually met with a yes! It is one of the defining characteristics of a perfect client - contrasted with a request from someone that just rubs us the wrong way.
Of course, I know that no matter who makes a request of you, for the most part you'll gladly take care of customers. But every company has those clients that are a better fit with the work they do than others are.
Let me ask you this: have you clearly defined WHO is a perfect client for you, and why? Do you have a solid actionable strategy to go get those clients?
By defining this information, you make it much easier for perfect clients to find you, and you stop chasing and start attracting.
And attracting is the easiest and most energy efficient way to do business -
If you're not as skilled at combing business with the principles of attraction as you'd like to be, you might consider taking some of my upcoming classes - or not, and continue to do it the hard way. Your choice.
Dawn
How do you make your own luck?
Two steps:
One, take complete responsibility for your life and what you're experiencing right now.
Two, either make a change or accept it and let it go.
Imagine if everyone said to themselves:
I'm responsible for my perception about everything that happens to me, and I take 100% responsibility for my life. Never again am I going to blame my boss, my spouse, my parents or anyone else for where I am now. I am destined for success. I can't be stopped; it's my calling! I'm here to make a difference and give more than I get. Every negative thought that tries to enter my head, I stomp under my feet. Fear no longer paralyzes me, because I WORK in faith! I have a glimpse of where I am going and it's awesome! I'm amazing, I'm passionate, I'm sincere, I'm positive, I'm immune to circumstances, I'm destined for success. . . .
You might have already guessed that making your own luck is also known as your sense of personal power. It's a component of emotional intelligence.
Robert Cooper defines personal power as the degree to which you believe you can meet the challenges of your life and live the life you choose.
If you aren't getting the results you want, stop blaming or procrastinating and take action!
To a personally powerful, lucky, passionate day -
Dawn
Are You Smarter than a Two Year Old?
I hope I am!
Two year olds are known for their emotional outbursts and their inability to control themselves.
The skill of self-control is a basic of emotional intelligence. Sometimes hard to do if you're really stressed out.
You've heard the buzzwords - emotional intelligence, social intelligence.
Emotional intelligence that part of us that is aware of our own feelings, and uses that awareness to manage ourselves and our relationships with others.
Did you know research shows that high emotional intelligence is considered one of the primary drivers of business and entrepreneurial success?
Strong emotional intelligence is especially useful in networking - and we all know that networking is THE best way to build a business.
Good business comes from good relationships. Over the next few weeks, I'll be writing about improving your emotional intelligence and how you can use that to become a master networker.
And you already know that networking is hands down the most cost effective to generate new business. Remember:
It's not how you feel that determines how you act; it's how you act that determines how you feel.
You can't manage anything you can't control.
You won't accomplish anything great by playing it safe.
Never manage your numbers; manage your behavior.
Today.
Make a note of your biggest challenge right now and one strategy to deal with it next time it appears.
Now is the time to focus on your strengths as you formulate what's next for you.
This simple step develops emotional self-control - one of the eight characteristics of EQ - emotional quotient, also known as emotional intelligence.
High EQ makes for better relationships, more effective business development and is just plain more fun.
To high EQ and more fun,
Dawn
I was talking to a Wildly Successful Woman the other day - we were laughing about the amazing possibilities available to all us at any given moment.
We were doing some planning and looking at what 2009 might bring - and then I did it.
I jumped out of the possibility and into HOW. I got on the HOW TRAIN.
How am I gonna do that?
Who could help me?
Is that the right direction to go?
Let me tell you, I wasn't laughing anymore.
I leapt off the HAPPY TRAIN and landed smack in the middle of the HOW TRAIN - going the opposite direction.
Well luckily I saw what I had done - so it was easy to stop with the 'how to do it" routine and shift back to "what do I really want and does it make me feel good?"
I know . . . I'm probably the only one who has gotten caught up in the how - ( I'm sure you never do it) and it sure felt good to shift back into possibility.
If you are taking a ride on the How Train, get off! Jump on board with happiness and possibility.
Entrepreneurs are starting businesses in record numbers - you could be next! Success is right around the corner!
What's your passion? What dreams do you have that would make you feel HAPPY to fulfill?
Get off the HOW TRAIN and onto HAPPINESS -cuz that's where your passion lies!
Dawn
2009 and change is in the air!
A new president, a new beginning, out with the old, in with the new.
The movie "The Bucket List" was a big hit in 2008, the ultimate demonstration of the power of just listing what you want.
What's in store for you in 2009?
What kind of change will you create - and where's the opportunity?
You can achieve ANYTHING you want ...
Good health.
Financial freedom.
Strong relationships.
More friends.
More time with your family.
Happiness.
They are each just a few small steps away when you begin by setting goals for yourself and focusing on what's working.
What you focus on you'll get more of.
Albert Schweitzer once said, "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."
Dawn
"Irreducible Remainder"
Heard this term the other day and I was so intrigued with it. What exactly does it mean? It refers to what's left in an algebra equation when you've broken the remainder down as far as you can.
Sounds like what most of did in 2008 and are doing as we set goals for 2009.
Taking what's left of 2008, breaking it down into what was critical and what wisdom was gleaned, and then deciding what the heck we want to experience in 2009.
For myself, all I'm taking with me is the wisdom gained. I've decided to leave the rest of 2008 behind.
Quick - right now - go open a new word doc and create two lists: What I gained & What I lost.
What wisdom did you gain and what non critical things did you let go off? What else can you let go of in order to achieve what you really want to?
Here's a hint - for me, I let go of my sense of entitlement and hopefully some of my need to control. I learned that I want to find happiness everyday from whatever I can, and that if I'm moving too fast to find it every day, I'm moving too fast.
So it's not too late to create your value based strategic plan for 2009 - and if you haven't done it yet and want some help, I'll be offering a two hour class on January 16th at 9 am. It will be the best $25.00 you've ever spent to get yourself organized for the new year.
But you can start NOW - what are the irreducible values that you'll base 2009 on?
Dawn
It's been another week of huge ups and downs -
Debates, the stock market and bailouts.
Even if you've stuck your head in the sand you've heard some of it.
Here's the "Top Six" that run through in my mind -
Is there a fire or spurting blood?
If I had a nickel for every time I've asked my kids this, I'd be a rich woman. The point is everyone has a different definition of an emergency - and you can decide what yours is.
Is there anything right about this situation?
Everything moves in cycles and we have a natural tendency to try to hold onto pleasure and panic when things change - maybe the change is a natural adjustment from one extreme to another.
How could it be worse?
It can always be worse. Period.
Where's the opportunity?
Adversity is opportunity - look for it a slight left or right shift to where you've been focusing. It's there. Trust me.
I know what I don't want, now what do I want?
If you actually read what I write, you already know this: what do you want, and how do you want to feel about it?
Use regular daily routines to stay centered and to renew and revitalize.
The comfort of daily rituals keeps us grounded and centered, and it's only when we work with a daily, intentional routine that we remember how to stay focused on what we want - what if you committed to 10 minutes every morning - writing out your intentions for the day? How would that make a difference for you at the end of the day?
Stay positive and motivated!
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