With much thought over the past few weeks, I have decided this will be my last blog post.....because I am switching to podcasts. I love writing but sometimes I feel like I am not conveying my point very well through my blogs. It's also a matter of time..... I have a hard time sitting down and focusing for hours at end so sometimes it's hard for me to sit and write a whole paragraph at one time. I get distracted very easily and other things tend to take me away from my focus.
I figure with a podcast, I can record in my car, waiting for the kids, in line at Chipotle and still have content to post instead of waiting for the right moment to sit down and type everything in.
I know I don't have a mega load of readers but for the few loyal supporters I have, I think this will make it a little easier to get content out to them. My first podcast post will be Thursday July 7th. 

This past weekend my family and I headed down to Richmond, Virginia to celebrate the 100th birthday of my great grandmother. The idea of everything she has seen in 100 years is so crazy to me. She lived through so much.

The main lesson I learned from watching the video and listening to my great grandmother was: I have to step my game up! This woman is 100 years old and she is still waking up at 4am, serving on the board of her church, attending 3 services every Sunday, visiting the shut-ins, bowling (yes bowling) among many other things. She just stopped driving 4 years ago and that only happened because one of the neighborhood kids stole her car. That hasn't stopped her though. She gets rides from the other deaconesses to church and other places she volunteers.

As I sat there listening to all of the things she is doing and is involved in I started thinking “what the hell am I doing??” I take a nap almost everyday! I could be filling that time with.....other things. Now, let me clarify, my nap helps my creative juices flow. Around 2pm, I start getting overwhelmed and the only thing that unblocks my mind is a nap. With that being said, I could totally cut down to a power nap instead of 3 or 4 hours.

We asked her what she attributes her long life to and there were 4 things:

Faith
As most women in the south are, my great grandmother is a very religious women. Her faith is unshakable. She has amazing faith in GOD, mankind and love.

Service
My great grandmother is server of human kind. I can remember going to Richmond for 2 weeks at a time during the summer and all we would do is serve in some kind of capacity. We made flower baskets, corsages, served the homeless, cleaned the church.....we spent a lot of time being very active for a then 80 year old woman.

Keep Moving
I can attest to the fact that my great grandmother does not stop. When I was visiting her one summer, she wouldn't let me sit down as she and her friends from the senior center walked the track. She told me I was being lazy and I needed to get up and walk too (that makes me laugh).

Lastly,

Don't Listen to What Anyone Else Has to Say
My great grandmother is probably the biggest proponent of the “do you” movement. When we suggested she slow down, she wouldn't listen. When we suggested she stop driving, she wouldn't listen.

After listening to my great grandmother's achievements, and thinking about everything I would like to do but have put aside due to fear or the thought that it would be hard work, I have decided to get back on my roll. There are so many things I would like to do with my non profit, my small businesses and just life in general that I have been putting off for no good reason.

There is no perfect time to live....there is just time to live and enjoy life!

Happy 100th birthday, grandma Powell!!!

 
I had friend who passed away earlier this year from breast cancer that eventually spread to her bones. For 2 years, 7 of us made sure she made it to chemo, routine doctors appointments, watched her children, made dinner.....pretty much anything she needed done, we did – as a tribe.

Many times, as entrepreneurs, we get the idea in our heads that only we can fulfill our project's destiny. We burn ourselves out by not asking for help or by not taking the time to replenish our bodies and minds.
Sometimes, we lose track of our friends and the contacts we had before we started our journey into entrepreneurship. This is why it's important for us to build our tribes to connect to when we have our moments of need. Ideally, your tribe should be other women/men who:

1) Can relate to the stresses you are going through with your business and your personal life

2)You feel comfortable sharing your feelings with

3)Will be there whenever you need them

The bond of the tribe is just like your close friendships. The only difference is these are people who understand the sacrifices, demands and mindset of an entrepreneur because they are one.

My tribe keeps traditions and rituals that, we feel, help us in our personal and professional lives. We have the “20 dollar date” weekly because as entrepreneurs, we understand the finances of a start up. It gives us a chance to get together and vent about business and new endeavors. We take 2 trips a year to conferences we are all interested in. Most importantly, we have a “drop what you are doing” policy. If any of us are having a life changing experience like a cheating spouse (I had to throw that one in there), a death in the family or even good news like funding on a new project – we drop what we are doing to be with that person. There are no frivolous calls. If the event is important to one member then it's important to us all.

The day we received the phone call about our friend, we dropped what we were doing and immediately headed to the hospital. Within 30 minutes, we had dinner set up for her husband and kids for as long as they would need it, we had a schedule prepared for where the children were going to stay. There was much that went into the 3 weeks she spent in the hospital and still much that we deal with on a daily basis since she left 2 kids behind.

But as a tribe we have each other to lean on when times are tough.

 
Owning your own business can be a wonderful experience...especially when you have amazing customers. 99% of the time you are lucky to have customers who are understanding and willing to be kind human beings but it's that 1% who can make your life a living hell.

There is a saying: “You teach people how to treat you.” This is also the case for keeping good customers. Here are 5 tips to keep yourself from pulling your hair out over the idiots who make up the 1%.

Communicate properly
What I mean by properly is let them know what you expect from them. Let them know what they can expect from you. Now, let them know one more time what you expect from them. After you let them know for the second time then put it in writing. This will make all of your dealings drama free....hopefully. It's important for you and your customer to be on the same page at all times. Anyone who has watched Judge Judy knows verbal agreements don't always end as well as they started.

Don't accept verbal attacks
Even a mistake on your end doesn't justify someone yelling at you or your employees like a maniac. I'm assuming most of your clients are over 18 years old, therefore, they need to act like an adult. I've learned if people disrespect you and get away with it they will do it again.
While they are “acting a fool” (that's a southern term) you remain calm, apologize over the situation (even if you don't want to) and solve the problem to the best of your ability. I do believe in second chances for certain people but in most cases I would move on to the next step which is.....

Don't be afraid to drop them
There are plenty of fish in the sea. There is no reason for you to spread your miserable attitude all over the office and then home to your family just because you don't have the sense to break up with your customer. When you are miserable like that, you make your spouse and kids miserable. If you don't have a spouse and/or kids, then you are making your cat/dog miserable....and that's animal cruelty. You get the point. Dump that zero and get yourself a hero ( I grew up watching Jerry Springer and Ricky Lake).

Expect Timely Payments
I know that the kind, loving person you are wants to give everyone the benefit of the doubt by letting late payments slide. Try letting those late payments slide when the rent on your office is due or you are late on your bill at the gym. Your landlord or personal trainer won't want to hear about how your customer didn't pay because they are avid followers of #1 and #3 (put it in writing and don't be afraid to drop a customer).

Be firm with everyone about when they are to pay and how much they are to pay.

Treat your customers well
As the saying goes “give what you would like to receive.” If you want to be treated well, you should treat your customers well. Set out cookies in the office for when they visit, send cards or emails with no reason other than to check in. I know this might seem like a lot of work but if your customers feel like you genuinely care, then they will genuinely care what happens to you and your business.

Networking
I am not usually the first person to come alive during a function. I am the one you see quietly walking around, eating, drinking and then walking out of the room. Networking is an essential skill for an entrepreneur because so much of our success depends on us getting out there and telling the world who we are. In case you are struggling with your networking skills, I have created a list of 5 things you can do to help you become great at networking. I will cover the most important things in the first 2 topics in case you don't get through the rest of the post.

Eat a Little Something Before You Go
You don't want to be so hungry that you miss out on the most important point of the function – to network and meet people. No one wants to see you in the corner scarfing down a plate of greasy chicken wings. Not only will they give you weird looks, but they will also talk about you later. Most of these functions are for close knit groups....meaning your reputation will be built upon the way you act in the streets as well as the way you act in the office. This also leads me to the next topic......

Don't Get Too Drunk
So you read the evite (we're all “green” here) and the magic words are in bold, italicized 50pt font “Open Bar.” You jump up and down like a kid at Christmas....we've all been there. There is always that one person at these functions who takes it too far. Don't be that person. It's one thing to be a little “comfortable” but it's another thing to get toasted. You want to be able to remember the people you met at the function the next day. You'll thank me later.

You may leave now if you really have to go but you'll never find out what happens next if you don't stay.....

Go In With a Plan
This is how I get though the night most of the time. If I am going to a function being hosted by a group I am familiar with, I will try to get as much information on who will be there as possible. That way you have something to talk about. Most people want to talk about themselves so if you have information on them already all you'll need to do is sit there and listen. It makes the night a lot less awkward when you go in with a plan. Having a plan keeps you from having to circle the room like a crazy person trying to find someone to talk to.

Be Mindful of Open and Closed Groups
I learned this tip when I went to Entrepreneur Magazine's Growth 2.0 conference last year. Basically, if there is a group of people talking, you want to look to see if there is an opening. So for example, if there are 2 people talking, and they are standing face to face and speaking directly to each other – they are a closed group. If there are 3 people and they are standing with room to offer space to a 4th person – they are an open group. I might add a diagram to this to help you guys out. I would hate for you to burst into a closed group thinking they were inviting you in....because they will talk about you later.


Lastly,
Take Someone With You
Sometimes this can be a problem because you might end up spending all of you time with the person you bring so try to avoid that (unless the party is lame). Try to take someone who is a socializer. That way they can play “business wingman” for you if you are shy. They can also be your excitement if the function is lame.

Bonus Suggestion: Make sure the person you bring with you doesn't get too drunk either because the rest of the attendees will still talk about you.

  Your automatic Twitter DM Sucks!
I really mean this. When I first heard about the auto DM I thought it was pretty cool, in theory. I had never seen it used but the thought of automating the message someone gets when they follow you seemed really appealing....until I received one from a friend.
One of my long lost friends recently did an online reality show ( I won't mention any names). I happened to turn on the tv and there she was promoting her new project. I was really excited so instead of picking up the phone I searched for her on twitter. I found her and added her to my list of wonderful tweeters. A few hours later, I received an alert from my tweetdeck with a message from her...only it wasn't from her....it was an auto DM!
Before this I had received an auto DM from Thrillist and (RED). I didn't mind it from them because I recognize they have 100 people requesting them a day.

As a small business, most people are looking for the “only one” experience – where you make them think they are the only one you are connecting with. Your customers have followed you since your inception....they can even tell you the name of your middle child and most of them will be offended by your auto DM.

Here's what you can do to make your people know how much you care:

1) Acknowledge your followers in a tweet so it shows up in their “mention” section: “Thank you for your support @bobby @suzy10 @superstar”

2) If you don't have time for that, then try a blanket “welcome new followers. Glad to have you aboard.” I have a friend who uses that and he hasn't had any backlash.

But if you still feel like you are too busy and you have to send an auto DM.....

3) Try acknowledging it's an auto DM. I received an auto DM from the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur (TPE), Mike Michalowicz, when I signed up to follow him on twitter that said something like “Hi, this is an auto DM. Thank you for following me.”

Maintaining a good relationship with your people is “good business.” Don't mess it up!

  There is a saying that most people would rather die than speak in front of a group of people. I am lucky not to have that problem. I watched one of my classmates go into a full blown panic attack during a project that involved public speaking in 12th grade English. For my project, I educated my 12th grade class on the creation and secondary use of Viagra.....along with a brief history on the life of Drew Barrymore.

I've never taken any real classes on the art of public speaking, aside from the class my college required every student to take (it was taught by a student-teacher so it didn't really count) but I decided to compile some of the things that help me:

Prepare yourself

Whatever this means to you is what it means. If you need to take a run before you get on the stage – then do it. The point is for you to feel comfortable before your moment. I had a friend who used to visit with the audience before he would go on. He said it helped him feel like he was speaking to friends, which relaxed him.

Know your topic
People feel more comfortable talking about a topic they know something about. Knowing your subject will help you feel more confident about being up there in front of your audience.

Look in the mirror
I know this seems weird but practice in front of the mirror because most people have a distorted self image. Practicing in front of the mirror will help you to see how normal you look. That will help feel more comfortable, in your own skin, during your presentation.

Make adequate notes

I can't reiterate this enough....make sure you have and can understand your notes. If you don't have the luxury of a teleprompter (most of us don't) type them up and transfer them to a note card. It's imperative that you study your notes as part of your preparation. I can't tell you how many times I have seen someone create notes and then when they go to use them they have no idea what the note refers to. Make sure your notes are clear to you....even if you have to write the whole sentence out.




Remember......
These people came to see you!
The people in your audience didn't make it there by accident nor are they being held there against their will. They came to see you. They knew you were going to be there and they still showed up.....take comfort in that. You must have something they want for them to have shown up.

Lastly, just relax and enjoy it. There's nothing better than being there and connecting with people who are waiting to hear what you have to say. They are there to learn from you and you are there, subconsciously, learning from them.

.We all have moments when we are going through problems that seem insurmountable. Here are some tips to refocus your efforts when negative issues get in the way:

Celebrate the small successes.

When things aren't going your way, think about a time when you were able to pull through and succeed. It may have been a deal you closed or a project you finished in record timing. It might even be a task you completed in your personal life, like creating a garden or building a shelf. Thinking about the positive moments will change the reaction in your body and get you refocused on the task at hand.

Appreciate your gift

Be happy about the gifts you have been given to share with the world. Not every one can do what you can do. Focusing on your gifts and skills will put you in a better mood to get you back to the task at hand.

Focus on the outcome

Instead of focusing on the problem, focus on what will solve the problem and move the project forward. The longer you stay focused on the situation the more likely you are to create a larger problem in your mind which will lead to feeling overwhelmed. 

Look for the lesson you learned.

As entrepreneurs, we are always putting ourselves out there to experience something new. If you have a moment where you feel you have failed, take the time to think about what you can learn from the situation. The more experiences you have to learn from the better your chances of success are. 

Like the song says “you gotta get up, get out and do something” but sometimes that is harder than it sounds. For those of us who have days when it's hard to get out of bed or get started on that project we've been putting off for weeks, I've compiled 5 tips to help you get moving.





      1) Get Moving!

I know this first one seems like common sense but there are many days when the first step is the hardest. Getting out of bed can seem like the hard part but the key is to “just do it” ( I couldn't help myself). Once you get moving, it's a lot easier to stay moving. If it's really bad, just through yourself out of the bed. Eventually you will have to get off the floor.

2) Break Your To Do List into Smaller Sections

Sometimes part of the problem is the overwhelming feeling we get when we are working on a large, multi part project. If you accomplish small goals along the way, it can help motivate you to stay focused. This is especially useful for the serial entrepreneurs who take on starting and running multiple businesses at one time. Focusing on the outcome versus the steps it will take to get there also can be helpful. Try visualizing how you will feel when you are finally done.




    3)Plan Out Your Day

How many times have you seen this suggestion? Well, if you are not planning out your day yet, this is the perfect time to start. Taking the time to plan out your day the night before allows you the opportunity to clear your mind for a better sleep. It also lessens the possibility of surprises and makes for a more productive day. Lack of planning can cause you to be overwhelmed and anxious which leads to inactivity.




     4) Stay Social with Like Minded People

Some of us have the tendency to get distracted by other things, especially if we are not focused to begin with. Social media sites seem to be the places where people tend to go when they are straying away from their tasks. Instead of restricting Facebook or Twitter during your working period, try connecting with your other ambitious and focused entrepreneurial friends. Your lack of motivation could be a problem your buddy can help you solve. Just make sure you put a limit on the time spent socializing. Once you get motivated and focused on the task at hand.....turn off the chat and social sites so you can put 100% into your work.




  5) Make a Vision Board

If you have seen The Secret then you have heard of vision boards. You can make one out of any pictures or quotes that remind you of the goal you are working to accomplish. Vision boards are not just for personal goals. Vision boards also work well for mapping out the progression and goals of your business or project.



Bonus tip:

Get Sleep, Eat Well, and Drink Plenty of Water




Lack of sleep, poor eating and dehydration can zap your energy, which leads to feeling unmotivated. As entrepreneurs, we are constantly overworking our minds and bodies so it's important to take the time to replenish what you have lost. Being well rested, eating healthy foods and staying hydrated helps your mind to focus on the tasks you have set for yourself. Water also helps your body carry out the physical aspects of the task.




I would just like to make a side note to tip 1- I am not referring to depression in the first tip. Depression is a serious issue that should be handled with the help of a doctor. I am only speaking of temporary lack of motivation. If you think you may be depressed, please consult your physician.