Have you ever found yourself saying that you hate sales or that you are a bad sales person?

Do you hide behind your computer or your voice mail when it comes to closing the sale rather than feeling certain that what you are offering is going to change your client’s life?  We’ve all been there!  But I have discovered some simple techniques that my friend Carolyn Ziel and I want to share with you to help you become a master of sales so you can start really generating some revenue in your business.

It’s time to get clear about who you are, who you serve and how what you offer SOLVES PEOPLE’S PROBLEMS!

This video will give you a few tips that will help you refine your sales process.  If you want more, Carolyn Ziel and I laid everything you need to know out in this power-packed teleseminar where we shared everything you need to know to start attracting clients right now and how to keep them coming back for more and more and more!

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

What are your special powers?

Have you outgrown your logo?  Is your website outdated?  Do you feel that you need a branding reboot?  Great! Then, you will love this post and video!

Ready to re-brand?  Here are your action steps:

☐      File new brand with US Trademark office

☐      Purchase new domain/s for new brand name

☐      Hire a graphic designer and/or branding expert to update your image and rebrand your business according to your values and goals

☐      Update social media profiles and pages with new logo/url

• Facebook (name/url/profile pic)
• Twitter (name/url/background)
• Linked In (name/url/profile)
• You Tube (url/channel header/ profile pic)
• Plaxo (name/profile pic/url)
• Google – Google Places (name/profile pic/url)
• Digg (name/profile pic/url)
• Delicious (name/profile pic/url)
• Squidoo (name/profile pic/url)
• Ning (name/profile pic/url)
• Industry Directories (name/profile pic/url)
• Amazon (name/profile pic/url)
• About.me (name/profile pic/url)

☐      Update blog/newsletter/product graphics with new logo

☐      Update email addresses with new domain extension, redirect all email addresses to one email inbox

☐      Update outgoing company voice messages with new brand name

☐      Set up Google alerts for your name, url, new brand name, etc

☐      Update Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook PPC campaigns

☐      Create and send a press release to announce new brand, story behind re-branding etc

☐      Spread awareness of re-brand on social media, tweets, updates, etc

☐      Have banners created with new logo, post on blog sidebar and send to affiliates, partners, etc for update

☐      Update email signature with new logo, brand name and url

☐      Update affiliate program and products with new logo, banners, etc

☐      Order new mailing labels, business cards, letter head and all other marketing collateral with new branding

☐      Create a video announcing date of transition to new brand, post on blog, tweet and update on Facebook to inform audience of transition

☐      Once new brand is launched, send appreciation gifts to your team and have a party to celebrate the new brand! (include party info in you press release if you want to invite media or the public!)

Have I forgotten anything?  Are you hitting a wall in the middle of a branding reboot?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.  Thanks!

The goal of a lifestyle business is to generate a minimum of active revenue and a maximum of passive revenue that is centered around your true passion and that allows you to live the life of your dreams.

For some, the passion piece is the challenge.  They just can’t figure out what they are passionate about or how to monetize the object/activities of their affection.

For others, they don’t know where to start with the passive revenue piece.  The information products they have created aren’t selling.  Their teleseminars are empty.  The only revenue they have coming in is from inconsistent direct client contact that doesn’t allow them the freedom they dream of.

Then there are those who have created businesses that are the farthest thing away from their true passions and they feel trapped.  Helpless.  Confused.  Not free.

If you are having a hard time creating a true lifestyle business, that generates enough revenue to sustain a family or at least pay the bills… this 30 minute presentation will explain 2 forms of revenue (affiliate and network marketing)  that will allow you to build alternative revenue streams into your business that will truly set you up to achieve the wealth, health and happiness that you dream of.

If you have ever wondered if MLMs or network marketing really work, watch this video.

If you have never been able to make money through affiliate marketing, watch this video.

If you just want to know how to grow some passive revenue streams, you guessed it…

Watch This Video.

This video is not selling any products or pushing any programs.  In fact, it is just a 30 minute presentation that I probably SHOULD be generating revenue from, but I wanted to share this with you to give you the answers you need.  If you have any thoughts, tips or questions, please share them in the comments!

No one ever tells you to incorporate your health into your business, but it plays a HUGE role in your life, so it’s time that we all create a system to build optimal health that supports our entrepreneurial journey. Today I am here to say that if you want to be successful, your health is one system that you must integrate into your business.

Watch this video for a quick and easy tip that will help you to build a system around your health that will have a positive effect on your business and your life.

For more tips on health for yourself and your family, join me every Tuesday night at 6pm PST/9pm EST on the Healthy Moms Healthy Babies webinar and the #HealthyMomsChat where we discuss diet, fitness, mindset and other important topics related to your health. And if you are interested in learning more about the nutritional supplements that have made a huge difference in my life and that have changed my mindset on health, click here.

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts on health and your business below!  I’d love to know what you think about the idea of creating a health system for your business!

Ready to connect?

Ready to take your business to the next level?

Ready to start learning how to share the love so you can get more love in your biz and life?

Ready to learn from a group of women who are ready to step it up BIG TIME and start hitting goals on a regular basis?

Social Media Girlfriends was built just for you!  There are a lot of online communities out there for women business owners, but not all of them are focused on helping you connect with other women who want to support you on your journey to success.  Networking is one of the most powerful forms of marketing and client attraction because you (the brand) are connecting DIRECTLY with them (your audience and potential JV partners). 

For those of you who are experienced networkers, come join the fun so we can show the newbies how to shine. And for those of you who are still a bit intimidated to jump into the connection game, come see how others do it and feel the power of connecting in a space that was created to help you not only grow your business, but grow as a person.

Whether you join our community or any other, below you will find a few tips to help you and your business get the most out of your online community experience.

5 Tips to get the most out of an online networking community:

1. Fill out your social media profiles thoroughly with links to all of your social media pages, your blog and your offerings.  If you do nothing else besides this, you are still putting your brand out in front of new eye balls and increasing traffic to your sites.  On top of that, people will be more likely to reach out and introduce themselves to you if they feel like they know you.  So, don’t be shy!  Complete your profile as if it were an introduction at a party!
2. Say hello regularly! If you really want to get the most out of your time in any social media communities, you have to reach out and start playing the game.  Read social media girlfriends community member profiles per day.  Leave a comment on their blogs saying hello and what you like about their profile or their brand and share a bit about yourself.  Engage in conversations.  This is how you build the know, like and trust factor that can result in sales or partnerships!
3. Create a time every few days (specific days, like Mon, Wed and Fri) where you spend 10-15 minutes commenting on some of the members’ blog posts and profiles.  Keep the momentum by scheduling this activity into your calendar.  Try to choose members who share a similar target audience as you and **without spamming** add to the conversation in their blog post.  Leaving comments on blogs is a great way to show your support and increase your own traffic when you add value to the message.  Remember, it’s not about broadcasting, it’s about engaging.
4. Ask for help when you need it. Just posted a new blog post that you would like to have shared on social media?  Need more likes on your Facebook page?  People are likely to help you out when you have shown that you are a giver, so look for ways to pay it forward before you need a favor in return.  This is another reason why commenting on other members’ blogs or Facebook pages and retweeting their tweets is important.
5. Always be respectful, helpful and generous with your interactions in communities.  Remember that the way you interact in communities is a direct reflection of and on your brand.  Think about how you respond to people in these types of settings and make sure it is aligned with not only who you are, but who you ultimately want to become.  See every interaction as a seed you are planting in your network.  With time, love and nourishment, your seeds will grow and sprout the fruits of your labor.  Enjoy the process of helping others help you blossom into all that you dream of being.

If you are looking to make positive change in the world, the ripple effect can start in a supportive online community.  Do you have any suggestions for successfully getting the most out of a social media community?  Or do you have any questions?  Please share your thoughts in the comments and have a great day.  Thanks!

(Check Out the Webinar)

When some entrepreneurs start lifestyle businesses,  they often don’t know where to start marketing their message.  Well, I would like to propose that the most cost-effective form of marketing is NETWORKING!  There is no substitute for a good old-fashioned hand shake and great conversation, which is why networking WORKS.

However, many of my clients express confusion or anxiety at the thought of just HOW to network effectively on social media and at entrepreneurial conferences.  My goal is to help prepare you, empower you and encourage you to spread your wings, stretch out of your comfort zone and build a thriving business that you love, which is why we created a group like Social Media Girlfriends.

Want to expand your network?

There’s nothing like a place where you can find blogs to comment on and maybe get a few new comments on your blogs, leave links to connect with more people through social media and build connections with other women who are aligned with your goals!  Right?  I mean, heaven for the women business owner!  So, come join the fun at Social Media Girlfriends as more and more fabulous women join us!   Looking forward to seeing you there.

After having a very powerful week last week, full of client calls, speaking engagements and radio shows, my husband and I attended a transformational weekend retreat called Free to Love at the Chopra Center near San Diego.  The event was  lead by the incredible David Simon, MD (father of my friend, the brilliant Max Simon).  There were so many take aways from the weekend that I will be sharing with you over the next few days, but one of the most important lessons I learned this weekend is that meditation is something everyone on this planet would benefit from doing twice a day for 30 minutes.

(watch the video above to see just a few ways your body will love you for meditating regularly, aside from weight loss and better sleep!)

After just 4 days of meditating twice a day for 30 minutes, I can feel a HUGE difference in how I FEEL!  At the retreat, we committed to 30 minutes of primordial sounds meditation twice a day for the next 3 weeks to see if we can make a habit of it!  As Stephen Covey says in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, it takes 21 days to form a habit, so I will let you know how that goes!

Anyway, I am committed to making meditation a part of my daily routine because I see the physical, mental and emotional benefits of this practice.  If you have any thoughts on this or if you want to join me in taking the 21 Day Meditation Challenge, leave your thoughts in the comments!

Thank you so much and have a wonderful day!

There seem to be a lot of coaches and leaders lately talking about this whole idea of living your life purpose…

Clearly, it is an idea that is close to my heart as it is the basis for much of the work that I do with clients.  But, when I listened in on a very interesting and informative teleseminar last week with @BryanFranklin and @JonathanFields, I couldn’t help but hone in on a question that Bryan brought up…

Bryan was talking about how so many entrepreneurs get off track when they create a business based on “My” life purpose rather than living “With” purpose and this notion really stuck with me.  As it kept swirling around in my head, I began tweeting about it and asking my followers what they thought about it.  Many of them came back to me with the idea that they believe in living with purpose…

But I couldn’t help but wonder how many people may be under the mis-guided perception that building a life purpose based business is about “Them”.  It is a seemingly innocent mistake to make, but it also one that could potentially derail important work.

Building a purpose-based or passion-based business is not so much about you as it is about the gifts you brought to this world.  It is about making the world a better place by being of service to others.

At least that’s my take on it.

So, what do you think?  Is it important to build a business or a life that is focused solely on YOUR purpose or is it our duty to live WITH purpose?  I’d love to hear your comments below!

What is worse than failing in business?  Failing in marriage!

And what is worse than failing in both?

Not much.

Both are equally as challenging.  Both force us to really see our own strengths and weaknesses and either force us to rise to the challenge or face the consequences.  And both, if done right can bring us to a new level of fulfillment, love, clarity and peace in our life.

So, how do we succeed at both marriage and business?

First of all, in both pursuits, one must be 100% committed in order to succeed, which means failure is not an option.

The difference between being 100% committed versus anything less than 100% is that when you are fully committed to making something work, you expect to face every challenge with everything you’ve got.  You don’t even consider bailing out because you are so focused on finding the solution.

When you are NOT 100% committed, you give yourself a back door that may seem all too tempting when the stakes get high and eventually, you will exit your chance to succeed.  So, if making your business and your marriage a success is TRULY your mission, then you must commit yourself to finding a solution to every single challenge that comes your way.  Having said that… there are times when divorce or dissolution of a business is the BEST solution (usually when there is a toxic element) and this is okay as long as you are 100% committed to maintaining and pursuing your life vision and staying true to your core values.

This leads us to my second tip…

Your commitment to your personal, entrepreneurial and marital success begins with a constant evolution of personal growth.  See challenges as growth opportunities.

When you are in a relationship, your partner will originally be attracted to your outward strengths.  Your partner may also be attracted to some traits that you possess that they would like to develop in themselves.  After a while, this attraction may change as the rose colored glasses (that made everything feel so wonderfully perfect in those first few months of the relationship) disappear and reality sets in.  Not all aspects of being in a relationship are fun.  The reality of your true self and your partner’s true self will eventually be revealed- the good, the bad and the ugly- as you enter the next phase of your relationship.  Each phase will present a new growth opportunity and when overcome, will provide greater reward.  Sometimes this means that the relationship hits a rough patch that exposes fundamental differences that ultimately dissolve the relationship and other times, it solidifies your bond and deepens your love.

Now, read that paragraph over again as if it were about your business.  This dance of highs and lows continues throughout any relationship and the one activity that will heal any pain and bring you together is communication. Communication that involves honesty, dedication and the expression of your true self. This includes your life vision.

When you are in a marriage and you are an entrepreneur, you must communicate openly and regularly with your partner about your business and life vision so that each party can support and be supported in their endeavors.  Without this dialog, the relationship will be lacking in a complete understanding of one another, which results in conflict, resentment or distance.

Interestingly, this same dance of highs and lows and rose colored glasses and communication exists in business.

Everything in life ebbs and flows.  Expect it, respect it and embrace it.  Within your business, this may show up as you being an extremely supportive leader with a very cohesive and empowered team that needs direction, reassurance, appreciation and a connector (you) to make sure their visions are aligned.

Think about new team members who after a few months lose steam.  Their rose colored glasses disappear and they need support from you- the leader- to get back on track and see the value in the work they do with you.  This is not failure, right?  This is a message that it’s time to make sure everyone is on the same page.  The same needs hold true in any relationship.

The only way to survive and enjoy this journey of your personal, entrepreneurial and marital evolution is to respect where you are at and where your partner is at in their evolution, to constantly seek the path to inner growth and to embrace challenges as opportunities to strengthen your mission.  Focusing on problems or ‘failures’ will not get you anywhere.  However, looking for solutions will always help you to put one foot in front of the other so you can make progress.

Be open to seeing and exploring all types of options in your marriage and in your business.  Be flexible.  Be like the child who doesn’t stop asking questions.  Be curious.  Free yourself of judgment, shame and criticism.  When we shut down our mind in terms of what we will and won’t do, we close our hearts to the possibilities of our dreams.

Your commitment to yourself and your truth, your devotion to personal growth and your understanding that failure is NOT ‘the end’ will help you survive and succeed on this road of being an entrepreneur in a marriage. As we move forward into the new year, I encourage you to focus on finding solutions to the challenges that arise in your marriage and your business.  And I challenge you to think outside the box in terms of solutions, wait at least 48 hours before responding to emotionally charged discussions in business and in marriage and to continue to sharpen your focus on your life’s purpose and the gifts that you bring to the world.

The journey of the entrepreneur, the mompreneur, and/or the business owner who is in a committed relationship is not an easy one, but as I said earlier… it is one that can reward you with much clarity, love, fulfillment and joy.  I wish you much patience and persistence in both endeavors and as always, if you need any help navigating these waters, I am here to help and if I am not the best person to support you, I can certainly recommend some options to you.

PS: This post was going to be titled “Why Not to Go Into Business With Your Spouse” so I am including a video on the subject in case you are interested in partnering in business with your spouse.  Feel free to comment below with any thoughts you have about either this blog post or the video.