Every month, I try to have a theme to inspire growth and this month I would love for you to join me in this practice! I have found that it is easier to stay focused and motivated when we choose one word to think about throughout the month. If we join together in this exercise, it will make it that much more powerful! So, join me on this fun project as the word for March is: CONNECTIONS.

Connections are happening around us all of the time, but we aren’t always in tune with them and the power that they hold. When we are consciously paying attention, we will see that we make connections between things we learn and our real life. We make connections between things people say and what they mean. We bring people together to make connections in relationships and in business. Our brains make connections all day long, but are we actually focused on the impact that these connections can have on our life and how we can utilize them to grow? Do we think often enough about how precious these connections are? Do we express gratitude regularly for the value that they bring into our lives?

Part of me was tempted to make the word for this month “relationships”, but connection seemed to push the notion a step further. In order to grow, we have to push ourselves and step out of our comfort zone. So, while you may not feel that focusing on the word connections will have much of an impact on your daily life, I challenge you to try it and prove me wrong (or better yet, prove me right).  In your daily meditations, focus on the word connections.  In your daily interactions, seek out and make connections between and with others.  For moms who are starting their first business or just embarking on their entrepreneurial journey, connections are tremendously important part of building your business.

My bet is that you will see a whole new world when you pay attention to how many connections are going on around you and the tremendous amount you can learn from them. Feel free to use the comments section of this post to share your thoughts and stories about connections you are making or have made.

Alicia Dunams

San Francisco, CA
Astrological Sign: Sag
# of children: 1
Age: 8
Favorite Business Book: Whole New Mind – Dan Pink
Favorite Family Book: The City of Ember
Favorite Quote: Smooth waters does not a skillful sailor
make.

1. Which came first: the biz or the kid? Kid
2. What is your biggest productivity secret- the thing
that helps you accomplish the most in your day?
Having a VA; team
3.  How well do you feel you are balancing motherhood
and entrepreneurship?  Any tips? Ask me this when
Izzy turns 18.
4. What was the tipping point for you when you
realized you were truly an entrepreneur? The tipping
point was knowing I needed to pay the mortgage, and
be a parent chaperone at my daughter’s school. I
needed to do both. Entrepreneurship was the answer.
5. What one word describes your purpose in your
family, your biz and your life? Happiness
6. Where do you find your greatest source of support
for your goals in your family, business and life? My
therapist
7.  What do you do to recharge your spiritual batteries?
Crawl into the fetal position and sing Kum-Bi-Ya
8.  One thing you can’t live without: Travel
9. iPhone or Blackberry? iphone
10. Chocolate or Vanilla? Swirl
11.  PC or Mac? Mac
12.  Which do you do most often: Eat out, Order In or
Cook it yourself? Eat out
13.  Who is your biggest supporter? My mom
14.  Who is your greatest inspiration? Izzy
15.  What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? Sitting
on a beach in Costa Rica checking my PayPal account.
Name of Business/es: Alicia Dunams Intl. and See You On The Call
URL/s: http://aliciadunams.com  and  http://seeyouonthecall.com
Twitter Name @aliciadunams
Facebook Page facebook.com/aliciadunams

This morning I went to the gym (which in and of itself is a random act) and brought my new favorite book How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie.  As I sat down to do some sit ups, a man asked me why I was reading this book.

Not needing an excuse to avoid doing crunches, I sat up, smiled and said, “because I am an entrepreneur and a mom and any effective leadership techniques I can get my hands on are as good as gold.”  Well, that was all that this guy needed to forego his workout and get involved in a random conversation.

This simple question spawned an hour-long chat about business, finances, leadership, randomness and what to do now to prepare for making a big chunk of cash in the future.  I now have a new group of books to add to my reading list and the world grew smaller yet again when this guy dropped the name of a company that belonged to a woman I incubated with at Ladies Who Launch.

Random conversation, random place to get into this conversation and even more random that this guy knew my friend who I hadn’t spoken to in a while.  So, when I got back to my desk it was time to shoot off an email to said long lost friend and send a random hello.

Back to the book that I am reading and why it is my new favorite book…  How to Win Friends & Influence People was written in 1936 by Dale Carnegie.  This book has been mentioned in hundreds of business books and articles over the past seventy plus years.  I am sure you have heard the title, right?  But have you ever picked this book up and read the little gem?  If not, add it to your bucket list.  This thing is packed full of great advice for MOMPRENEURS!

And every single lesson is just as poignant today as it was seventy years ago!  Lesson #1: Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.  Wow, those are some pretty interesting words from a man in the 1930’s and the beauty is that they really aren’t anything that we don’t already know.  The reason that they inspired me to write a post about them is because of the reasoning behind them.

People do not do what we want them to do when we criticize them because we put them on the defense.  Mass murderers, dirty politicians and naughty kids all have a justification in their minds for committing their crimes.  This is human nature and it will not change.

So, if you want to motivate (or manipulate, depending on how you look at it) people to do what you want, you have to think strategically!  The key is making them WANT to do the thing that you want them to do.  This can be applied to our kids, our team, our friends and family and even the random stranger who keeps you from doing your crunches.  Criticizing, complaining and condemning anything will have a negative reflection on us.  There is no way around it.

The moral of this post is… if we want to accomplish great things, we must accept, embrace and creatively encourage those around us.  In turn, we will go farther faster, with more enjoyment and with a greater level of support.

I know… kind of a random message for a Monday morning, but a pretty powerful one to kick off the week!

Next book… Fooled By Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

I met fellow mompreneur Susie Shina a few months ago in Las Vegas at a seminar and immediately knew I was going to like her!  She has a fantastic sense of humor and we really share much of the same philosophy and about fitness, health, mindset and life. Here she is in a video about how we treat ourselves and our bodies and how to make the most out of our relationship with ourselves.  She gives a fabulous mindset tip for all of us who have a tendency to see our flaws instead of our beauty.  Check her out…

A lot of moms are afraid that if they start a business, they will lose their relationships or somehow things will be hard.  I am here to tell you that there are 3 simple things you can do right now to make sure that your business will be great for your relationships.  Watch this video and leave your comments below if you have any additions or thoughts.

Do you have a fabulous idea for a business that you want to start OR are you a mom who wants to start a business, but you haven’t a clue what type of business fits your desired lifestyle?  Here are 15 LIFESTYLE business ideas that are great for moms:

1. Virtual Assistant - If you know how to create and format Word documents, spread sheets and Power Point presentations and if you enjoy social media, email marketing, blogging, loading autoresponders and working on your computer, this is a great business for you!
2. Graphic Designer – Have you always had a knack for design and using programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash?  Have you ever created logos, web sites, business cards, letterhead, product packaging or banner ads?  Sounds like you might like a graphic design business.
3. Interior Designer – Did you decorate your house to the nines and every time people walk into your home people ask who designed it?  Do you love going to the design center or helping your friends find the perfect furniture pieces, art and accents for their home?  Why not start a business and get paid for your talents?
4. Business Consultant – Were you a career maven before having kids with a specialty in marketing, sales, business development or strategic partnerships?  You still have those talents!  Businesses outsource this type of expertise all the time.  Start your business and get back into your groove as an independent business consultant!
5. Art Consultant – Do you know a lot of great artists, interior designers or businesses looking to display art?  Do you love art and want to help artists build their careers and gain greater exposure?  A business as an art consultant may be just the path for you.
6. Caterer – Are you the one who everyone is always asking for yummy recipes and menu ideas?  Do you whip new and fun dishes up in a flash?  Do you love to host parties just so you can prepare amazing food?  Catering is a great business for moms who like to cook, bake and prepare yummy food.  Pick a niche like birthday parties, office gatherings or religious occasions and your biz will pop!
7. Event Planner – Have you always been the hostess with the most-est?  Are you organized, presentable and fun?  If you love organizing events and making sure everything runs smoothly, you just may be a fabulous event planner. Again, niche is key.
8. Photographer – Real estate agents, restauranteurs, physicians, politicians and other business owners need professional pictures for marketing materials and websites.  Moms are always looking for great photos of their little ones too.  So, if you have an eye for good lighting, a love of photography and a great camera, this business will be right up your alley.
9. Personal Stylist - Executives, public speakers, talk show guests and entrepreneurs need help getting dressed for appearances and meetings.  Are you a natural born shopper with a flare for accessorizing?  By starting a biz as a personal stylist, you get to shop, style and make money all at once!  How cool is that?
10. Freelance Writer – Businesses need writers to write copy for ads, write articles for blogs and ghost write books for them.  If you like writing, you may as well get paid to do it!  Once you start your biz, list your services on sites like guru.com and elance.com and start attending local networking events with clever business cards to get initial clients.
11. Personal Trainer – Are you a gym rat with buns of steel and six pack abs?  Or do you just love health, helping others and working out?  For moms who hate to exercise, simply having someone to ring their doorbell, get them out of the house and moving is key to overall health and happiness!
12. Home Daycare Provider – If you love kids and you want to get paid for watching your own kids while taking care of someone else’s- start a daycare!
13. Tutor – Do you have a background in education or a strength in a specific subject?  Kids always need tutors to help fill in the gaps and raise grades.  Pass out brochures and business cards at local schools and you will be in biz before you know it!
14. Organizer – For those of us with stuff falling out of our files, drawers and cabinets, having someone to come in and help us get organized is invaluable!  These are very popular businesses these days.  So if keeping things in order is your thing, being a professional organizer may float your boat.
15. Bookkeeper – Do you dream in numbers?  Bookkeepers are incredibly valuable to every business owner.  If you like to help businesses keep their books in order and manage their accounts for increased growth, you will have more business than you know what to do with!

These are just a few ideas to get you started thinking about all of the possibilities for moms looking to fit a business into their life.  Stay tuned for more business ideas for moms soon!  And if you have any additions to this list, please feel free to comment below.

I am so excited to show you this sneak peek at my new coaching program!

It is about to be launched next week, so make sure to sign up for my newsletter for details.

Are you ready to take a leap and follow your entrepreneurial dreams?

Sign up below for details about this amazing coaching program that is designed to guide moms through the process of building the foundation of their dream businesses in a comprehensive 12- week system.

(not me, but kind of…)

At the beginning of each week, I create a schedule for all that I want to accomplish for the week, listing tasks for each day.  Sometimes things get pushed aside so I can squeeze new projects in or stuff comes up and the schedule shifts, but I am usually very good at staying on task.. usually.  Today, my agenda included one thing that isn’t going to happen: shoot a video tip for the blog.  This morning, I woke up with a horrible cold and my nose is ridiculously red from blowing it (actually maybe I will throw vanity to the wind and shoot the thing just so you all can see how red my nose is… check back later if you want to find out- hee hee).

Today, I am resting up for the Getting It Done radio show that is at 6pm PST tonight with two fabulous moms, Sandy Grason and Melani Ward.  So, this video tip is a written one for now and I promise the next one will be a video!

Smart Business Start-Up Tip For Moms #2:

If you know that you want to start a business, but you don’t yet know how to pull it all together and are feeling stuck, there is something quick, easy and free that you can do right now to get moving forward toward your dream of opening your business!  “What is it?” you say.  Here it is: Start a free Wordpress blog and begin building a following as you hop aboard your entrepreneurial journey. Simply go to Wordpress, sign up for an account, name your blog something clever (like your name’s blog), write a post (make sure to add a photo of yourself!) and send a link to all of your friends and family members announcing your new blog.  Nice and easy.  Should take you about an hour or two TOPS.

There is nothing more interesting than reading about someone else’s decision making process and getting a glimpse into the development of something great!  Write about questions you have, tasks you want to accomplish, goals you have reached, choices you are mulling over, past experiences related to what you are doing, why starting a business is important to you… heck, write about the color of your toilet seat- it doesn’t matter!  Just start writing.  As you grow more comfortable with blogging, you can write articles for your blog and submit them to article directories like Ezine Articles which will give you even more exposure.

Include keywords that people might use to find your business on Google or Yahoo when you create each post.  Using this simple technique with each entry, your blog will become rich with content and keywords and will generate more search traffic to your site.  Then, as you get clear on the steps you need to take to get your business launched, you will already have build an internet  following that will continue to grow the more you write!  This simple step will be great for your business once you figure out how to pull all of the pieces together.

Starting a business is about taking baby steps every day. If you take one simple step each day, by the end of the year, you will have taken 365 steps! (well, hopefully you will take a day or two off every once in a while, so maybe it will be more like 300 steps, which is still a huge amount of progress!)

Have fun with this new blog thing.  Don’t worry about being smart or funny or anything other than you because YOU are what makes your business special and unique.  There are many ways to make money being a blogger, so if you like this, think about blogging as your business.  Remember… baby steps, have fun and be yourself!  Oh… and be proud too because you are awesome!  If you have any questions, thoughts or comments, I’d love to hear from you and help you. 

Sandy Grason

Boulder, CO

Astrological Sign: Virgo

# of children: 2 girls

Ages: 11 & 13

Favorite Business Book: Freakin’ Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else by Clinton Kelly

Favorite Family Book: I Love You More by Laura Duksta

Favorite Quote: “There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.” Martha Graham

1. Which came first: the biz or the kid? Kid- after giving birth in the bathtub, I was in awe of myself and thought, “Look what I just friggin’ did! I wonder what else I can do?” that’s when I started writing my first book.

2.  What is your biggest productivity secret- the thing that helps you accomplish the most in your day? Two things: 1. Connecting to my Inner Wisdom and asking “what one thing can I do today that will have the greatest impact on my life?” (then go do that thing) 2. using a timer, writing for 30 minutes, tweeting for 10 minutes, cleaning for 15 minutes (well, I never do that one) but Timers are Magical!

3.  How well do you feel you are balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship? Fairly well, but there are always times when I’m working on a deadline and I feel like I’m neglecting my family.  Any tips? I’m a big fan of rewards, so when I finish a project/task I ALWAYS celebrate, many times I include my family in these celebrations. Starbucks, Jamba Juice, a nice dinner (my celebrations seem to involve a lot of food) My girls remember the celebrations after a big project is completed.  We talk about my schedule if it’s going to be extra busy or I’m traveling a lot and we put fun things on the calendar to look forward to when it slows back down.

4. What was the tipping point for you when you realized you were truly an entrepreneur? I’m not sure? I still joke about quitting and going and getting a job at the bank.

5. What one word describes your purpose in your family, your biz and your life? I was going to say “fabulous” LOL! But I think it has to be “Celebration”, I like to have FUN.

6. Where do you find your greatest source of support for your goals in your family, business and life? My tribe.  I am amazed at the incredible people/relationships I’ve attracted into my life.  They inspire me and make me want to do better in my life every day.

7.  What do you do to recharge your spiritual batteries? Alone time especially in nature, living in Colorado has connected me to Mother Nature in a whole new way.  Meditation or journaling helps me quiet the monkey mind too.

8.  One thing you can’t live without: Music

9. iPhone or Blackberry? iPhone

10. Chocolate or Vanilla? CHOCOLATE

11.  PC or Mac? Mac

12.  Which do you do most often: Eat out, Order In or Cook it yourself? Eat home-My husband & daughter are both AMAZING chefs, they should have their own tv show.  I am a very lucky girl.

13.  Who is your biggest supporter? My husband

14.  Who is your greatest inspiration? Madonna! lol I’m really inspired by Jason Reitman writer/director and Nancy Meyers filmmaker extraordinnaire

15.  What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? I really want to make a film.  I also want to design some shoes.  And I’d like to be a really good skiier.

Name of Business: Sandy Grason Unlimited

URL: http://SandyGrason.com

Twitter Name @sandygrason

Facebook Page http://facebook.com/sandygrason

Often times when moms want to start their first business, they dive right in without thinking about the long-term effects of a business that is not built around personal values, passion and desired lifestyle.  If you are a mom who is ready to start your first passion-based lifestyle business, join me on my monthly Smart Business Start-Up Q&A Call for Moms!

In the first part of the call, I will share with you some of the mistakes that I have made that have cost me thousands of dollars, countless hours and a little bit of heartbreak.  Learn from my mistakes and experiences and then the floor is yours to ask me all of the questions you want to ask about starting your first business.

For call in details, simply sign up for my newsletter and I will send you the details ASAP!