By Jill Starishevsky

They call me the poem lady for as you can tell
Rhyming is among the things I do well
Thepoemlady.com is a place one can go
When you need a poem, but verse you don’t know
Many moms have hectic lives and are busy like I am
So this mom entrepreneur gets them out of a jam
Whether birthday, bar mitzvah or any shower
The poem lady makes you the toast of the hour
I have used this skill to write a children’s book
It’s an important one, that’s worth a good look
In real life I prosecute child abuse and sex crimes
And I’ve been saddened to notice dozens of times
That children are quiet and have heavy hearts
And are confused if touched on their private parts
Parents often know not what to say
And avoid the subject, in hopes it goes away
So I penned a little tale called My Body Belongs to Me
It’s a simple story, as straight as can be
It’s meant for children from three to ten
And since children like it, you can read it again and again
From the mountaintops I have wanted to yell
If you are touched inappropriately, a trusted adult you should tell
Should you be interested in spreading the word
You can send out a tweet or tape a post-it to a bird
Know someone who skywrites way up in the air
Or owns ad space at Yankee Stadium with some room to spare
Do you have extra time on your radio show
A billboard in Time Square when foot traffic is slow
No matter the medium, it must go far and wide
Children need to know that we’re on their side
I’ll take help spreading the word wherever I go
To teach children about their private parts and it’s OK to say NO!
Tell everyone you encounter, whether teacher, Dad or Mom
Learn how to protect a child at MyBodyBelongstoMe.com

Thanks Jill!

How clever can you be when spreading the word about your business?  I know you have some great ideas, so let’s hear ‘em!

See you in the comments!

Does business ever feel a bit scary or depressing to you?  Then you are not alone!  Over the past year, I have noticed quite a few of my clients and many of my fellow entrepreneurs having an increase in anxiety and self doubt.  Of course some of this is normal in business, but when it lingers… it becomes a problem that can hamper your chances of success and no one needs that right now.

My question is this: Is it the economy that is causing this higher level of anxiety or something else (or a little bit of both)?

So, I started reading news reports about the economy (the quickest way to get depressed!) and blog posts about why entrepreneurs lose steam after years of hard work.  Then I got more granular and started seeing some trends when it comes to why some business owners seem to have a bright and shiny smile on their faces even when they are faced with extreme hardship while others seem stressed and unfocused despite healthy growth.

What I really wanted to know was the exact secret or recipe for being a happy entrepreneur in a not so happy economy. Don’t you?

Great, you’ve come to the right place then!  Below are 7 common characteristics of happy entrepreneurs and an explaination for how you can make a few simple shifts to land yourself right in the middle of Happy Town.  Are you ready?  Let’s get to it!

The 7 Common Characteristics of the Happy Business Owner:

1. A business that involves something the owner is passionate about
2. A contagious positive mindset
3. A healthy support network
4. Daily inspiration and a success practice that starts the day off on a positive note – every single day
5. Gratitude for experiences (good and bad) and a constant striving for personal growth
6. Tailored systems designed to help them manage business and family with maximum efficiency and intention
7. Clarity about what they want out of life

Okay there you have it!  Do any of these qualities ring a bell?  If not, don’t worry because we are now going to give you some action steps to inject these qualities right into your life using very simple steps!   The good news is that this won’t require a ton of work because a lot of this has to do with shifting your outlook and spending some time making decisions about what you want out of life.  However, the most important part of this process is making the commitment to making the necessary changes.

When you make a commitment to be happy in your life and your business, you will experience a deep inner transformation that will bring a sense of relief in knowing exactly what you are doing with every decision you make and a clear understanding about why each decision will bring you closer to your ideal lifestyle.

Let’s get started…

1.  A business that involves something the owner is passionate about

This is pretty self explanatory.  You probably started your business because you were passionate about some aspect of the business.  In some way, it was related to a cause, belief or activity that resonates with you on a deep level.  Or, you may have started your business because you thought it would make you a lot of money.  In this case, you may be running a business that has nothing to do with passion, which can cause a lot of anxiety and unhappiness because you don’t feel inspired to do this work.  I’ve been there!  The solution to this is to either shift your business model or to add another revenue stream to your business that involves something you are passionate about.

2. A contagious positive mindset

The effects of having a great outlook and how it correlates to the level of success that one achieves pertains not only to entrepreneurs, but to people in general.  This means, quite simply… if you want to be happy, you have to focus on the positive.

You may have heard me say this many times before, but whatever you focus on grows, so if you focus on the positive things, situations and people around you, they will increase.  And vice versa.  So, if you are reading this and realizing that you have a challenging time being an optimist, the first place to start is with your outlook.  When you find yourself thinking or saying negative thoughts, switch gears and look for something that is going right.

3.  A healthy support network

This goes without saying, but if you don’t have at least 3 to 5 people who you can turn to for advice, guidance or emotional support in business and in life, you will most likely end up feeling overwhelmed, discontent and alone.  Create a list of your top support network members (therapists, coaches, mentors and/or advisers) and build making contact with them into your regular schedule.

4.  Daily inspiration and a success practice that starts the day off on a positive note – every single day

How often do you consciously engage in practices that inspire you?  How do you think you would feel if you chose to be inspired daily?  Probably pretty good, huh?  Well, the fact is that business owners who are happy with their every day life build inspiration into their daily routine.  So, make a list of all of the things that inspire you and make a commitment to do them consistently. When we begin the day from a place of grounding and purpose, we have a greater ability to make decisions that will give us the results we desire.

5.  Gratitude for experiences (good and bad) and a constant striving for personal growth

What do you think happens when you look for things to be grateful for?  You guessed it!  You have MORE to be grateful for!  The practice of expressing gratitude regularly not only spreads joy to people around you, but it also makes you feel happy.  If you are not used to the idea of being grateful (yes, this is normal if you have not been taught to express gratitude) the best way to start is to begin each day by writing for 2 minutes in a gratitude journal.  Write freely about all of the things you are grateful for. Don’t filter, just let it flow and see how many amazing things you have to appreciate in your life and business!

This is a wonderful gift you can give to yourself and those you love.

6.  Tailored systems designed to help manage business and family with maximum efficiency and intention

Studies show that children who are raised in homes that have an organized schedule and regular routine experience reduced anxiety and increased self-esteem.  This desire for consistency and familiarity is a basic human need.  It doesn’t change as we become adults, which is why systems are so important.  Entrepreneurs and parents both have a multitude of tasks that we are responsible for performing. Without well thought out home and business systems designed to achieve specific results, things can fall through the cracks and you may be left feeling the impact.

However, when you have an organized daily, weekly and monthly routine, you will feel more confident and less stressed that you might miss a deadline, fail to respond to a client in need or send in tax forms when they are due.  Systems keep you organized both literally and mentally, so put them in place if you want to be happy!

7.  Clarity about what they want out of life

This is one of the most important parts of this whole happiness recipe.  If we don’t take the time to dream and set goals for ourselves, we can drift through life feeling directionless and without purpose.  Life has so much more meaning when we know exactly what we want and why.  The same is true in business.  If you don’t know what your end goal is, you won’t be able to set benchmarks to measure your success which means you will feel lost and unsuccessful.  Create a plan where you lay out all of your personal, family and business goals so that you can work backwards and create an action plan for success.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

-Herman Cain

Now that you have the recipe for what makes a happy entrepreneur, it’s time to create a schedule that includes all of the qualities listed above.  If you need help creating this schedule or gaining clarity about what your goals are, this is where your support network comes into play (and if you need additional support, look into hiring a coach, therapist or mentor to add to your network).

What do you think about this recipe?  Do you have any experience making small shifts and achieving great levels of happiness?  Please share them with us in the comments!

Sometimes in life, we don’t know why we are drawn to do certain things.  We simply know we must do them.

We sense an overwhelming feeling of urgency to attend an event, go to a workshop, join a retreat, participate in a coaching program, go on a journey or do something else that is out of our comfort zone and we put ourselves on the line financially, emotionally and in relationships to do that thing that we know will move us forward.

We may not know at the time WHY we need to it, we simply can’t NOT do it.  It’s almost as if we have no choice, but to do that thing.  And often times, it isn’t until months or years later that we realize how critical our choice to do (or not do) this thing was in shaping our destiny.

This is the story of that “thing”… and how it changed my life.

In 1998, I was a 24 year-old Pre-Masters student living in San Francisco and barely making ends meet with a $12 an hour job as a preschool teacher and as an exhibiting artist (which generated unpredictable revenue at best).  In my spare time, I loved (and still love) to read personal growth books like The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.  But after a while, I wanted something more than the books to help me take big leaps of growth.

It was time to walk on burning coals with my bare feet.  Yes, it was.

So naturally, I went to the Tony Robbins Unleash the Power Within Weekend Retreat in San Francisco.  It consisted of three full days in a hotel ballroom with 1000 people and Tony on stage… cheering, crying, laughing, singing, dancing… learning about psychology, exploring belief patterns and life purpose and seeing firsthand proof of the power of the mind… by walking on the burning coals.

Talk about being pumped up.  This was being pumped up on steroids.

Big time.

And then it was time to go home…

After three solid days of transformation and personal growth all I wanted to do was talk about my discoveries.  I’m telling you, this was ground breaking, hard work, soul-searching type stuff.  There was nothing passive about this event.  And I felt like I had won a marathon.  I wanted to celebrate, but everyone around me wanted to laugh this “woo-woo” stuff and mock the lessons I had learned.

“Great Britt. Good for you. “  They would say as they rolled their eyes and snickered.  But I kept on smiling and spreading positive thoughts.

This was a turning point for me where I went from always doubting my contributions to truly feeling empowered to help others.  Now, I could clearly see solutions for people’s problems and rather than giving them answers, I would recommend a book, an exercise, a weekend retreat or a CD that would help them.  I turned into a walking, talking self-help billboard that promoted Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, Don Miguel Ruiz, Dale Carnegie and a host of other self-help gurus.  (If only I had known about affiliate marketing back then, I could have added another revenue stream this way!)

And then I heard there would be another UPW in Chicago a few weeks after mine.  No, I didn’t go again.  But, I did encourage my boyfriend, Bob (who at the time was lacking in career focus) to attend.  Before we knew it, Bob was in Chicago walking on burning coals and shouting out, “I’ll do it!” at the top of his lungs.

Back in California, I would await Bob’s phone calls every night so I could hear his renewed enthusiasm for life.  In a way I was living vicariously through his discoveries.  But boy oh boy, was his zest going to come in handy for the whopper that dropped while he was getting his soul pumped!

As I said, I was 24 years old and about to begin an intensive 2-year double Masters program in Marriage and Family Therapy and Art Therapy.  However, our lives as we knew them and as we had carefully planned were about to change in a way that Bob and I could never have imagined.

The last night of UPW, Bob called to tell me about the power that was unleashed within him that weekend. While I listened with love, things were different.  Amidst his overflow of excitement, Bob paused…

“Is everything ok?” he asked.

Silence.

“Um. Yup.  Everything is fine.” I responded.

“Are you sure?” he overlapped.

“Everything is fine. I just need to talk to you in person about something.”

Silence.

“Are you pregnant?” he said and I could hear a smile in his voice.

Oh shit.  Now what?

Are we ready for this?  Is he going to want to keep this baby?  Is he going to be mad?  Are my parents?  How are we going to afford this?  Shit. Shit. Shit!

“Honey, I really just want to see you in person… so we can talk face to face.” I murmured as tears streamed down my face.

“You’re pregnant!  That’s awesome!  We can call him Arthur after my dad!  Are you crying?”

Bare in mind, for all this guy knew… I could have been planting the seed for a break up because I never really answered his question.  However, the beauty of this moment was that he knew exactly was what was going on and he was STOKED!  Thank god.

No… thank Tony Robbins!

And so it was.  A week later, we got engaged at a beautiful lodge in Big Sur.  Three months after that, we were married in the mountains in Idaho.  Four months after that, our first beautiful baby girl was born.

And the rest is history.

We still talk about UPW and what we learned over that weekend.  It was truly life changing and the best $2000 we ever spent.

Are you wondering why I am sharing all of this with you?

Good!  Because I am going to tell you right now…

Do you think it was UPW that made Bob and I step up and handle an incredibly difficult situation with grace?

I’ll answer that for you… As much as I would like to say that it was UPW that made us step up, the reality is… it wasn’t.  We certainly learned valuable lessons and discovered a lot about ourselves at UPW, but what made us step up was the choice we made to grow into a new level of existence.  Our old patterns weren’t working for us and we needed something to create a shift in our mind.  UPW may have given us the tools we needed, but what made us blossom was the freedom of making that choice to be who we wanted to be in that moment.

So, my question to you is…

Do you have a thing that is calling to you and that you know on some level will help you to step it up a notch or two?

What is it that is holding you back from saying YES?

And is there anything I or someone else reading this blog can do to help you step it up?

Just like everything else in life…

Nothing is created perfectly equal.  Support systems included.

What are support systems, you ask?

Have you ever sat down to list out just how many (or how few) contacts you can tap into on a regular basis that can offer you an ear to listen, a boost to lift, a word of wisdom or a piece of advice?  What if you have a multitude of these relationships in place, but they just don’t seem to be working just right?

It all boils down to 2 things: intuition and strength.

Let’s back up a moment here and talk about what support systems are.  Depending on who you are, what you need support for and where you live, support systems are just as individual as our fingerprints.  However, the purpose of having a support system is to give you the strength you need to persevere in any situation you may face, so you can ultimately achieve your goals.

Support systems in life may consist not only of friends and family, but may also include your therapist or life coach, your nutritionist, your fitness trainer, your hair stylist (yes, I went there – lol), your co-worker, your nanny, your yoga instructor, and anyone else who helps you to be a better YOU.

In business, your support systems may consist of your board of advisers, your business coach, your life coach, your lawyer, your sponsor, your boss or your mentor.  These support systems should help you to grow your business by guiding you to make effective decisions, by providing feedback, by suggesting resources and by sharing their expertise with you.  Whether you are facing a challenging situation or managing day to day operations, your support system should be there for you.

Support systems are there to SUPPORT you, right?   Well, this may seem obvious to you, but it is amazing how many people don’t see when a support system is not supporting them anymore and end up feeling abused, abandoned or alienated.

How do you know when a support system is broken?

You know that it is time to reevaluate a support system when your interactions turn negative or become intrusive.

You know a support system is failing when you consistently feel depleted or bad about yourself after each conversation.

You know that  support system isn’t working when your trust is broken or when you feel betrayed.

You know when a support system isn’t working out when you feel misunderstood.

You know that a support system isn’t serving you when you feel judged, belittled, criticized or mistreated in some way.

What do you do to fix a broken support system?

Just as with any relationship when there is a problem, the first step is to get clear on what the problem is and then to communicate this to the other party.  When a support system falls short of your expectations or stirs up drama, it’s time to reevaluate within yourself your goals with this support system.

Now is when the intuition comes into play. The most important thing in business and life is to listen to and trust your intuition. Your intuition will never steer you in the wrong direction, whereas a support system can.  When you listen to your intuition, you send a message to the universe that you value yourself.  (BTW, One of the best ways to get in touch with your intuition is through the regular practice of meditation.)

REMEMBER: Support is a 2 way street. For a support system to work on a consistent basis and to maintain healthy functioning, all parties involved need to be winning on some level.  Sometimes the win comes form paying for a service, such as with a therapist or coach.  Other times the reward comes from recognition or following guidance. The truth is when things get out of whack, it is usually because one or both parties are no longer winning. Maybe someone is feeling taking for granted or taken advantage of.  Maybe one party feels neglected or ignored.  Or maybe one person feels frustrated with a lack of results.  Either way, you have to step up to the plate and find a solution.

From the beginning of any relationship or support system, one of the best things you can do is to talk about and agree upon how you will both win from the relationship. Build the relationship by staying in regular communication, expressing gratitude for each other’s contributions and successes and consistently checking in to make sure that everyone is satisfied with the progress being made.

Once you have your support systems in order, you will be able to achieve those goals you have set for yourself with the help of your handpicked winning team.  As much as we like to convince ourselves… we do need support to succeed.  It’s just a matter of keeping everything in a positive place and paying attention to our intuition.

So, who is on your team?

The theme for this month is HAPPINESS.  I thought about going with a theme like freedom, but when you boil it down- a large part of freedom has to do with happiness.

When we are truly happy, we are free from the negative impact of people, situations and problems around us.  When we are truly happy, we see the opportunities around us (they are everywhere).

When we are truly happy, we are free to be ourselves 100% of the time.

Now that said, nothing is perfect.  Even when we are truly happy, we may have down moments or challenges to face, but it is how we approach them that will determine how we ultimately feel.

Happiness is a choice. It is a mindset.  But it can also be a goal that you achieve every single day.  (And an awesome goal at that!)

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.”

- Andrew Carnegie

Another beautiful thing about happiness is that it is contageous. When we feel happy and our smile shines throughout the day, we spread that happiness to everyone we come into contact with (if they want to receive it).  Studies have shown that brain chemistry can actually be altered into a positive state by simply smiling.

So, step one to finding true happiness… show those pearly whites! When you wake up in the morning- smile at your children.  Walk down the street and smile at your neighbors.  Smile at the person in the car next to you or the cashier in the grocery store. A smile is a little gift that costs nothing and provides incredible rewards.  Talk about a win-win!

When you have mastered the art of smiling, another action step to true happiness is starting each day with a gratitude journal. Write for 3 minutes about everything that you have to be grateful for.  What we focus on expands.  So, the more attention you pay to what is going right in your life, the more joy, love and gratitude you will experience.  That’s a fact!

Do you agree?  Disagree?  Have any additions?  Add them in the comments below and if you are free, I’d be honored to have you join me for the Live monthly Q&A call July 2  at 10am PST.  The call is only 30 minutes and I will be talking more about happiness and answering any questions you have about motherhood, entrepreneurship and success.  I hope you will join me!   Sign up for my newsletter for call-in details.

Nika Stewart

Freehold, NJ

Astrological Sign: Taurus

# of children: 1

Age: almost 5

Favorite Business Book: The Go-Giver, Bob Burg

Favorite Family Book: Give me some suggestions! I am always looking for a good, new bedtime story.

Favorite Quote: “Good enough is good enough… just do it!”

1. Which came first: the biz or the kid?

I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I was in business for 15 years before I had Ellie, but becoming a mom compelled me to change the structure of my businesses.  I now run business in a completely different way.

2. What is your biggest productivity secret- the thing that helps you accomplish the most in your day?

Total focus on one thing at a time… until completion.  AND the mindset that good enough is good enough (always trying to control my perfectionism, and remember that life is never done, so take time to love life and feel good about myself).

3.  How well do you feel you are balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship?  Any tips?

I think that being able to run a business from home helps me feel balanced.  My biggest tip is to always remember YOUR priorities, and make business choices that support them.  Never give in to doing things and taking on projects that don’t support your ideal lifestyle.

Yes, you can have a rewarding business AND a happy family life.

(Also remember that NO ONE does it perfectly.  And be good to yourself!)

4. What was the tipping point for you when you realized you were truly an entrepreneur?

The longest job I ever held was 3 months.  And that felt like a lifetime.

I never had to realize.  I was born an entrepreneur.  In elementary school, I created hair accessories and custom sneakers (S’nika by Nika) and marketed them to local stores and all my friends.  In High School, I ran a singing telegram service.  I dreamed of opening my own fashion boutique.  I was always coming up with the next business.

5. What one word describes your purpose in your family, your biz and your life?

FREEDOM

6. Where do you find your greatest source of support for your goals in your family, business and life?

My husband is my biggest support.  Although we don’t always agree on business strategies, I am so fortunate to be with a man who understands and encourages my entrepreneurial nature, and who shares the same goals for our family and our future.

7.  What do you do to recharge your spiritual batteries?

Meditation – I don’t do it enough.  But when I make it a daily habit, everything starts falling into place.

8.  One thing you can’t live without:

My laptop

9. iPhone or Blackberry?

iPhone (but not sure I made the right choice!)

10. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Vanilla

11.  PC or Mac?

Mac

12.  Which do you do most often: Eat out, Order In or Cook it yourself?

Order in

13.  Who is your biggest supporter?

My hubby

14.  Who is your greatest inspiration?

I get inspiration from ALL moms who are living their own dreams – taking care of themselves, growing personally and professionally, and running rewarding businesses without sacrificing family priorities.

15.  What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?

Hosting the Laptop Mom TV show, giving hope and inspiration to moms all over the world

Name of Business/es:  Nika Stewart Enterprises, LLC / The Laptop Mom

URL/s: 
www.NikaStewart.com

www.TheLaptopMom.com

Twitter Name @nikastewart

Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/nikastewart

I just read this on Seth Godin’s blog and had to share it with all of you amazing moms.

To keep things in perspective, read the following…

You matter

Christine Walker

Campbell, CA

Astrological Sign: Cancer

# of children: 2

Ages: 2 & almost 4

Favorite Business Book: Think and Grow Rich~ Napolean Hill

Favorite Family Book: Goodnight Gorilla

Favorite Quote: “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” Napoleon Hill

1. Which came first: the biz or the kid? The kid!

2. What is your biggest productivity secret- the thing that helps you accomplish the most in your day? Doing a list on Sundays of the 3 main things I want to accomplish during the week, helps me stay focused on my daily projects.

3.  How well do you feel you are balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship? Some days I feel like I have it handled and some days I don’t feel like I am doing either of them very well at all! Any tips? One tip that a very smart women recommended to me, was to keep track of all the successes I experience during the day, whether they are big or small, because it helps us remember how much we are really doing!(It was Britt who turned me on to doing this, and it really helps).

4. What was the tipping point for you when you realized you were truly an entrepreneur? Really it just came pretty recently, when I started actually generating some real income, ok I should say, income at all! J

5. What one word describes your purpose in your family, your biz and your life? Fun!

6. Where do you find your greatest source of support for your goals in your family, business and life? I would say I find that my husband is my main source of support with my family, business and life.

7.  What do you do to recharge your spiritual batteries? Exercising! Mostly jogging, and kick boxing.

8.  One thing you can’t live without: My husband would probably say my computer.

9. iPhone or Blackberry? Blackberry, but only until the iPhone comes to Verizon.

10. Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

11.  PC or Mac? Mac~ fairly recently, and I absolutely love it. Just talked my husband into getting a Mac Book Pro.

12.  Which do you do most often: Eat out, Order In or Cook it yourself? Order in, but trying to be better about cooking at home.

13.  Who is your biggest supporter? My husband.

14.  Who is your greatest inspiration? My Mom, even though she passed away 10 years ago, she is still my biggest inspiration for my family and my business.

15.  What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? Hopefully more of the same that I am doing now, just with older kids, and a more evolved business.

Name of Business: Boutique Websites For Sale

URL: http://www.BoutiqueWebsitesForSale.com

Twitter Name: http://twitter.com/christinewalkr

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/csextonwalker

“A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.”
– Cardinal Mermillod

So, there you have it.  No one can ever take your place, moms! But what is really important is that you know where your place is.

What I mean by this is that for a mom to feel like she understands how her choices impact her family, she needs to know where her own personal needs and goals fall in line with her family’s.

Do you know what your own personal goals are?  Do you know what your family goals are?

For all moms, whether business owners or not, it is essential to your personal and family fulfillment that you know where you are heading.  It is critical that you lay all of your goals out and that you claim them as your own- so that life doesn’t pass you by…

It’s time to take charge, Marge!  Now is the time to take action and set your goals for both yourself and your family.

Do you care to share one of your top goals with us?

Or do you need some help figuring out how to take action on your personal or family goals?

Simply leave a comment below with your questions and let’s get you moving in the direction of your dreams!

One of the biggest inspirations for most mom entrepreneurs is our kids.  Of course we want to make money and make the world a better place, yada yada, but what we really want is to inspire and be inspired by our kids.  That’s why we are moms.

We start businesses to empower ourselves, but we also want to support, encourage and be present for our children.

So, we start these businesses with the best of intentions and sometimes we need a little help staying on track.

Well, I wanted to know what my littlest little thinks about me working from home and running my own business(es).  So, I made this video (and had no idea what was going to come out of her mouth!) to show you what a 4 year old thinks about her mom being an entrepreneur…

Now, I want to know what other questions you want me to ask this little cutie about her mom running a business in Part 2!  Leave your ideas in the comments!