Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 7:01AM

1. Transparency. P. Cheung, www.my-wedding-concierge.com

2. Work when the inspiration strikes you. H. Claus, www.365daysofstyle.com

3. Diversify projects to offset monotony. S. Horowitz, www.principledprofit.com

4. Respond to all inbound inquiries from clients and colleagues immediately. N. Marshad, www.marshad.com

5. Let others know what you are doing, achieving and pursuing. P. Draper, www.mentalmysteries.com

6. Be a source of information. S. Bloom, www.bloomreg.com

7. Set untouchable, personal time away from business. K. Sherkey, www.streamline6.com

8. Be committed to the community you serve. J. Flynn, www.thelegalcheckup.com

9. Work in your strengths. Do what you do best. D. Hensch, www.drh-group.com

10. Live below your means. Use profits to grow your business. P. Solomon, www.pablosolomon.com

11. Keep up with technology. Emerging technology allows small business to compete on all levels and if adopted and utilized frees an amazing amount of time. B. Attig, www.myretailcareer.net

12. Never stop marketing. No marketing = No sales. C. Ruenheck  www.itsyourcall.com

13. Never start the day without a plan. D. Furtwengler, www.furtwengler.com

14. Focus on results. Know what you are doing, how and why you are doing it. B. Flaxington, www.the-collaborative.com

15. Be willing to turn down business that does not pay you what you are worth. B. Phibbs, www.retaildoc.com

16. Discipline because there’s no “boss man” threatening to fire you. S. Fischer, www.fischer-law.com

17. Consistently meet and connect with new people and have a follow-up system. B. Basilico, www.b2b-im.com

18. Stay in contact with influencers, network and stay highly visible. L. Singer, www.hsdominion.com

19. Monitor your progress. D. Helbig, www.seizethisdaycoaching.com

20. Become an avid “inspirational seeker” – read inspirational quotes. R. Guerrero, www.ficklets.com

21. Consistency. Whether it is a blog post, a contest giveaway, or product updates on the website, it is very important in my business that it is done at the same period of time each and every week. M. Podlesny, www.averagepersongardening.com

22. Treat your customer with respect and always make it about them. C. Sisson Hensley, www.hopsports.com

23. Focus, focus, focus on identified target market, ideal client and revenue generating activities.  P. Mussieux, www.confidenceandcourage.com

24. Have a written plan. L. Tener, www.lisatener.com

25. Always be optimistic – yet tempered with reality. M. Pisik, www.breckwell.com

26. Live your top five values. Know your values intimately and be fueled by them. J. Hornickel, www.boldnewdirections.com

27. Listen at meetings, events, one-on-one, over the phone; any time you interact with another human being and you are in some way part of the conversation; listen to what is being said. D. Menzies, www.menziesconsulting.com

28. Sleep. Having enough sleep keeps your mind fresh and your mood positive. J. Johnson, www.allmomsgotoheaven.com

29. Learn to manage your schedule. D. Moseley-Williams, www.moseleywilliams.com

30. Frequently ask yourself, “What will be my legacy?” Be legacy-driven, not only hitting the mark, but also leaving a mark. V. Ashford, www.fearlessleading.com

31. Add value above and beyond your peers and competitors. D. Dalka, www.daviddalka.com

32. Don’t think you can’t; assume you can. J. Fender, www.accessmainstreet.com

33. Have integrity. When you operate from a fundamental position centered on integrity you have the ability to gain the trust and respect of your clients. G. DeRosa, www.cgmaterials.com

34. Maintain balance — Without balance, you may lose sight of the really important reasons why your vision becomes your dream (i.e. family, ethics, community service, etc.) J. Patterson, www.e-LYNXX.com

35. Do your most important work first every day. T. Tervooren, www.tylertervooren.com

36. Show keen detail to servicing your clients and their needs. Regard yourself as an extension of their business. E. Khalil, www.abelpromos.com

37. Skill development. You need to be the best at what you do. Constant education in your field is a must. M. Meikle, www.mikemeikle.wordpress.com

38. Regular analysis of the numbers. On a monthly basis, look at the profit and loss statement and balance sheet of your business. H. Schauffler, www.marketingwithhenri.com

39. Measurable goal setting. You have to know what you want to achieve to be able to achieve it. P. Geisheker, www.geisheker.com

40. Continuously ask yourself, “What’s the best use of my time right now.” B. Maher, www.barrymaher.com

41. Frame it in the positive because realizing the benefits in every situation is the foundation for growth. G. Shiffrar, www.shiffrar.com

42. “Work” at home – maintain a daily schedule of going to your office and closing the door each morning at a set time. S. Lamb, www.sandralamb.com

43. Respond to all customer feedback (positive and negative) immediately upon receipt. K. Pine, www.worldwiseewelry.com

44. Think like an innovator and trend-setter. J. Scardina Becker, www.eventsofdistinction.com

45. Learn to delegate. S. Olivarria, www.biggerthanyourblock.com

46. Ask for quality referrals, quality referrals, quality referrals. M. Henker, www.thehenkergroup.com

47. Keep improving your product or service. A. Sinha, www.accessconsultinginc.com

48. When you think you have worked hard enough, work harder. The business is your baby and must come first. L. Levine, www.profiledproducts.com

49. Eat right, sleep and exercise. It doesn’t matter how smart you are or how great your plan or product is, if you don’t take care of yourself, you will burn out quickly. T. Tafur www.thomasinatafur.com

50. Take time to rejuvenate. A. Pelliccio, www.thehappygardener.info

51. Keep in touch with past clients as they are great referral sources and will come to you when they need your service again in the future. M. Ferletic, www.enterey.com

52. Under promise and over deliver. J. Gallacher, www.santacruzrehearsalstudios.com

53. Hire the professionals to do what you can’t excel at so you can use your time to do what you do best that generates income. Let them do the heavy lifting because they have the contacts and know-how. D. LeVie, Jr., www.kingscrownpublishing.com

54. Good writing and clear communication. Aim to write with clarity, correct grammar and punctuation; and whenever possible, with style. C. Sparks, www.holotropic.com

55. Network and leverage the resources of others with a win-win mindset. Ethically exploit the resources of other businesses, and share profits with them.  They understand joint ventures, strategic alliances and endorsed marketing deals. R. Brauer, www.prophet-marketing.com

56. Be outrageous.  Successful entrepreneurs are rarely run of the mill, boring or average. They approach business in a way so they ethically stand out in the minds of the market and the media. R. Brauer, www.prophet-marketing.com

57. Have a support system. Use the help of others to give you advice, provide a sounding board, and offer encouragement. Get into the habit of meeting regularly. J. Mounce, www.coacheffect.com

58. Bundle your services and products.  Make it easy for your customer to buy more from you by packaging complementary products. J. Crisara, www.contractorselling.com

59. Make sure you’re getting the best credit terms and discounts from suppliers. T. Anastasi, www.tomanastasi.com

60. Always stay caught up on your bookkeeping, bills and deliveries. J. Nielsen, www.myntstyle.com

61. Have a routine. Successful entrepreneurs create a routine of work that is consistent and fits with their lifestyle. D. Langton, www.langtoncherubino.com

62. Keep it simple. Write out business goals on one page. If you can’t communicate it to an employee or a business partner in one page, it’s too detailed – and no one will understand it. B. Leone, www.mrcopy.com

63. Surround yourself with highly motivated and talented people. B. Powell, www.yardshare.com

64. Put hard deadlines on a calendar, and to create a timeline of events that your customers, suppliers and prospects can hold you to. C. Goodwin, www.talkiscake.com

65. Don’t be afraid to fire the poor performers. C. Tuculescu, www.cosnet.com

66. Document procedures and processes, so that you don’t have to spend time training multiple people on the same thing. R. Bodon, www.onesmallstep.com

67. Make appointments with yourself. Block out time on your calendar for projects and don’t let anything move into that space; at least not without a conscious decision on prioritization. I. Miller, www.MentorMiller.com

68. Trust your gut. It feels things your brain does not. L. Taylor, www.nexgendigital.com

69. Know when to kill the idea. Abandon what doesn’t work or no longer works even if it once did. Don’t hang on to practices or business concepts because you are emotionally attached. C. Stewart, www.remarxmedia.com

70. Be a businessperson who wants to succeed. Don’t be a slave to your businesses; don’t work 20-hour days unless you’re under a tight deadline. Time isn’t always money, except when it is. K. Bretcher, www.brazenbutton.com

71. Persistence, persistence, persistence. The ability to face the myriad of obstacles that entrepreneurs will encounter, and continue to push forward, is the most critical (not the only) factor in success. G. Karwoski, www.creativepr.com

72. Ask for referrals and references regularly. The best leverage into new and varied business opportunities lies within the business you have done successfully already. M. Harris, www.aperturecapital.com

73. Look at everything from your clients’ perspective (it will help marketing). L. Aharoni, www.aqtext.com

74. Believe in your product or service. If you truly believe in what you do or sell and can convey that belief from the heart, others will too. Dr. R. Amicay, www.amicay.com

75. Listen to customers and adapt to changing needs and requirements. S. Donahue, www.skyya.com

76. Be Grateful. Always thank your customers, clients and even those who just act interested. Don’t try to sell anything when showing gratitude. K. Cahill, www.kriscahill.com

77. Collect e-mail addresses constantly and consensually. S. Dunseath, www.renoenvy.com

78. Keep the passion alive. Find things to stimulate you and challenge you so that you keep the passion for your profession alive. M. Verdin, www.verdinmarketing.com

79. Hustle. Constantly be on the lookout for story angles and places to tell your story (i.e. online, at events, to the press …anywhere).  N. Beckord, www.venturearchetypes.com

80. Establish a vision that you review daily and use as a touchstone to make fundamental decisions. G. Butler, www.butlerfitzgerald.com

81. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know,” and ask for help from seasoned council. T. Merrick, www.project7.com

82. Always keep an open mind (to new ideas, products, operational methods, etc.) V. Troyer, www.architecturalmailboxes.com

83. Have a willingness to learn from harsh feedback and mistakes made. E. Stutz, www.smoothsale.net

84. Do everything for yourself at least once. You gain valuable experience doing things for yourself. Afterwards, you can decide what is not core to your business success and outsource it. Dr. Z. Zguris, www.limetreecove.com

85. Show up. T. Scanlon, www.borgidacpas.com

86. Be consistent with your company’s image or else it will confuse and reduce your customer base. T. Hartl, www.sellingsunshinebook.com

87. Start with the easy stuff. It frees you up to focus on the tough problems by limiting distractions caused by other tasks. B. Law, www.primedesignsolutions.com

88. Follow up on every opportunity until you have an answer either way, meaning the customer has bought something, or ultimately says “no”. A. Sittig-Rolf, www.sittiginc.com

89. Block time for strategic planning and set time to check in on the business plan. K. Harad, www.newparentfinances.com

90. Pay bills and paychecks on time. Never being late on a bill is another big professional plus. Fast payments will foster loyalty with your employees and with anyone contracted for a project. C. Schexnyder, www.ohbabyfitness.com

91. Be the brand. You are your business. Everything you do reflects your brand. Protect it at all times. A.M. Blakeley, www.simplicitymastered.com

OPEN A NEW WINDOW Lyrics
Jerry Herman, Mame

Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That’s never been tried before;
Before you find you’re a dull fellow,
Punching the same clock,
Walking the same tight rope
As everyone on the block.

The fellow you ought to be is three dimensional,
Soaking up life down to your toes,
Whenever they say you’re slightly unconventional,
Just put your thumb up to your nose.
And show ‘em how to dance to a new rhythm,
Whistle a new song,
Toast with a new vintage,
The fizz doesn’t fizz too long.
There’s only one way to make the bubbles stay,
Simply travel a new high way,
Dance to a new rhythm,
Open a new window ev’ry day!

If you follow your Auntie Mame
I’ll make this vow, my little love,
That on the last day of your life
You’ll be smiling the same young smile
You’re smiling now, my little love,
If you wake up ev’ry mornin’
And you pull aside the shutter,
And you promise me that these’ll be
The first words that you utter
Open a new window,
Open a new door,
Travel a new highway,
That’s never been tried before;

Open a new window ev’ry day!

Did you know they can live almost anywhere.  Who wouldn’t want a life where they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want??  I know I’m doing my best to create a business that travels with me so I can enjoy my life in climates and conditions that I like best.  I can’t wait to take full advantage of that!  Squirrels tend to avoid high polar regions and the driest of deserts – can you blame them?  The land must support them.  They need to be able to find food and shelter.  We also need to have access to things that support us.  Family, friends, nourishment, etc.

Squirrels have excellent vision.  This is important since they always need to be on the lookout for food and for predators.   Now, I don’t spend a lot of time looking out for the same type of predator they look for (I seriously doubt a hawk or eagle is going to be able to swoop down and take me away), I do spend time looking for other types…mostly time wasters.  These little guys are so destructive to our success in life.  Always ask yourself, if what you are doing will get you closer to your goals.  If not, do you really want to spend your time that way?

Squirrels collect what they need and plan ahead for leaner times.  What a brilliant concept and yet so difficult for many of us.  Being self-employed, this is my biggest struggle – planning ahead while building a business to support my family.  Squirrels seem to understand this concept well and are always looking for food, even if they have plenty.

Squirrels are very hardworking, diligent and prudent.  They never, ever give up.  They make calculated decisions.  Have you ever watched a squirrel on a mission?  They try something and, if it doesn’t work, they try something else.  They seem to sit and think it through before deciding what route to take next.  It takes some work, even when we are in the flow, to move forward in life.  We must be diligent and not lose site of our goals.  We must make wise choices that are well thought out.  And, hopefully, it still feels fun most of the time (if not all of the time) for you.   Life doesn’t have to be painful.  Look at the squirrel.   Climbing and playing and chattering with others.  What a great life!

I am Powerful Article

There is nothing as incredible as feeling powerful and in control of your own life!  However, you are not alone if you have ever felt like you give your power away to others and you don’t know what to do about it.
Here are some signs you may be giving away your power to others:
•    You doubt yourself.
•    You try to make everyone else happy.
•    You go along with others to avoid making waves.
•    You look for approval from others instead of from within.
•    You buy into other people’s drama.
•    You allow yourself to be intimidated.
•    You have poor boundaries.
Any of this sound familiar to you?  It does to me.  I doubt myself.  I look for approval from others.  So why do I do this?  There are many reasons we give our power away.  It might be a habit.  It might be the way we were raised.  We might be afraid of confrontation.  Maybe it feels good in the moment to take care of someone.  What happens when we focus only on that one little moment in time instead of considering the long term impact?
Each time we give our power away, we sell a little bit of our soul.  Over time this adds up.  Even if it feels good in that moment, the price is quite  high.    The good news is we can learn to be powerful, to be in control of our life.   Here are some suggestions:
•    Remember to breathe.
•    Practice staying in your own energy, space, etc.
•    Learn to say “no” and mean it.
•    See yourself as a whole being, with all the right answers.
•    Use your anger wisely and stand up for yourself.  Anger isn’t always bad – just use it wisely.
•    Ask for what you want and need.
•    Realize that other people have their own path and you are not responsible for them.
•    Remember that someone else’s behavior almost never has anything to do with you.  Practice just observing it without any attachments.
When we choose to live our life from a place of strength and trust, when we are living authentically it means we have the courage to show up as our true self.  It doesn’t mean being rude or inconsiderate.  It does mean speaking our truth and believing in who we are at our very core.

Today I choose to be my authentic self.  Today I will not apologize for that.  Today I choose to be powerful and it feels really great!

Today I hope you’ll choose to be your authentic self.  Today I hope you will not apologize for it.  Today I hope you will choose to be powerful and it will feel really great!

You have been telling the people that this is the 11th hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour.

And there are things to be considered…

Where are you living?
What are you doing?
Where are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.

Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside of yourself for the leader.

Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said,

This could be a good time!

There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold onto the shore.
They will feel that they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination.

The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river
Keep our eyes open and our heads above the water.

And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.

All that we do must now be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

I shared a little bit on Facebook last night about how I got lost in the middle of nowhere heading home after a class in WI.  It was late, it was dark and I was tired.  It was all I could do to stay focused on the prize of getting home instead of losing it.  Before I went to the class, I had a nudge to print the directions on Mapquest in reverse…a nudge I obviously ignored.  I thought I’ll be fine, I’m used to following directions, I can figure it out to get back home.

Well, most of the time that’s true.  I’m pretty well versed on the art of following directions but every once in a while, I need that extra help and guidance and this was definitely one of those times.  You’ll be happy to know that I did make it home, in one piece and not too crabby.  I found a nice man at a gas station who gave me directions to get back to the highway (side note:  how come gas station attendants never seem to know where they are??).  Lastly, don’t give up.  I was so frustrated and was on the verge of losing it when that man appeared and gave me exactly what I needed.  Most businesses give up, right before the turning point would have happened where they can experience the success they desire.

Don’t give up on your dream!

_____  I am happy with who I am, I don’t concern myself with what others think.
_____  I accept my flaws, with gratitude.
_____  I use my strengths and surround myself with others who are great at things I’m not.
_____  I feel like my life is easy, fun, and a genuine expression of who I really am.
_____  I don’t have to impress anyone but me.
_____  I take care of my body, and I’m generally happy with the way I look.
_____  I am able to see the greatness that I already have, but I’m not trying to impress everyone with it.
_____  I use simple English instead of trying to impress people with my vocabulary.
_____  I see things as they are, not through someone else’s opinion.
_____  I have let go of wanting myself to be a certain way. I like who I am.
_____  I am beautiful/handsome.
_____  I always tell the truth.
_____  I have let go of wanting other people to be or act a certain way.
_____  I am living my life, not the life that someone else designed for me or expected of me.
_____  I don’t have any habits that I try to hide from other people.
_____  I am not perfect, and that’s ok.
_____  I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not, just to suit other people.
_____  There is nothing about my life that I am ashamed of.
_____  I respect other’s rules and beliefs, even if they seem unusual or confusing to me.
_____  My actions match my words, For example, I don’t condemn a musician for his lyrics, then go buy his  CDs.
_____  I am my own best friend.
_____  I am able to laugh at life.
_____  I cooperate with life; I don’t fight what’s been given to me.
_____  I am fully responsible for how my weaknesses may affect me, my life, and those around me.
_____  I have fully accepted both my talents and my faults.

Results 
0-5: You only get one chance at life.  Make the most of it.  How can you be more true to yourself? 

5-10: What if “being authentic” was more a part of your life?  How would your life be different? 

11-15: Not too shabby!  This is a great start and what you can you shift in your life to be more accepting of who you really are? 

16-20: Great!  You’re doing a wonderful job of being yourself.  Sometimes this may be less comfortable for you.  Overall, though, you’re doing well.

21-25: Fabulous!  You are definitely comfortable with yourself and you know how important this is for others around you.  Congratulations!

Are you ready to be your authentic self?  Are you ready to show the world who you really are?  Life will be so much easier, more fun because it becomes an expression of who you are.  So what’s holding you back?  If you are ready, try setting goals for yourself to allow your real feelings and desires to emerge.  You can do it!

Source Unknown

http://mashable.com/2009/11/14/small-business-video/

Have you ever considered the notion that you are a probability waiting to happen? “This just in,” is one of my favorite sayings to explain new thoughts and ideas as they arrive in my consciousness and, “this just in” on the notion that you are more fluid and open to being more “probable” moments of yourself – than you realize.

The One Command keeps taking me out of myself from my small sphere of influence and small thinking, into greater and greater, increasing realms of possibilities, including the notion that in reality all we are is a probability of what is.

When I had this notion that we are a probability of self, expressed in any infinite possibilities, in any direction, moment by moment, I literally saw the universe shift and the people I was looking at, at that moment become fluid light. This was a little disconcerting to say the least, because at that moment I was sitting in a restaurant in Billings Montana. I stayed with the new thought that turned into a brilliant experience right there in the restaurant because it truly was a powerful idea that we are a probability expressed in any direction at any moment.

During The One Command Practitioner Level II Certification we really went for it with this idea of being a probability, and invited the notion that every thought you think – you think – everywhere – including within every other person in existence all at the same moment simultaneously. Now that is an awesome and maybe frightening thought – every thought you think – you think everywhere simultaneously – including within everything – including everyone.

Embracing this idea makes you conceptualize reality from a completely different positioning in the universe. Let’s see how connected we are, rather than how separate, and let’s see how powerful we are in creating our lives – rather than how limited.

Think on this. The smallest wavelength of space that can be measured with modern science right now is 10 to -33 (negative 33 zeros) centimeters. Pretty small. It is mathematically proven that in the smallest wavelength of measurable space there exists more energy than the entire known physical universe. Just for comparisons sake think about it as a tiny pinhead having more energy than all the entire known physical universe.

A tiny pinhead has more energy than all the entire known universe can mean that at the level of your thoughts you have more energy than all the known universe – and if that is the case then your thoughts would be inherent within everything in the known and unknown universe and you would be connected to everything – a part of everything – you would be everything. Even more dramatically you would be the creator of everything as well as the observer and experiencer.

Now that we have gone super quantum with these notions of reality, would you like to play here? Truly you are anyway so why not do it consciously. Just think on this thought for a while. I am a probability waiting to happen in any direction – a fluidity of potentiality. Stay open and see what arrives!

We have a wonderful full selection of innovative new programs for you to enjoy in this newsletter. May your probable self find something that suites you.

Love,
Asara Lovejoy

For more information, join us at our next Commanding Wealth Circle at The Center for Harmonious Living in Minnetonka on Tuesday, November 10th.  To register, visit www.lodestonedynamics.com/eventreg.html.

Many of us automatically jump to the thought of money when we hear the word wealth.  I know I do. Or at least I did.  When my friend, Cathy, and I decided to co-facilitate a Commanding Wealth Circle I struggled with the name because I didn’t want people to think it was all about money.  Yes, money is a part of it.  We need it to live and enjoy some of life’s pleasures (although many pleasures are free).  I actually pulled out the dictionary as I was creating flyers for the group.  That’s when I saw how expansive the word “wealth” can be.  It’s just how we choose to define it for ourselves.

I am reminded of a story I heard once about a “wealthy” man and his son.  The man wanted to teach his son how lucky he was and thought he could do this by showing the son how poor people live.  They went to the country and spent some time on a farm with a family that would be considered quite poor.

At the end of the trip, the father asked his son what he thought.  The son had a great time and told his father that what he learned was this:

• They have one dog and the family had four.
• They have a pool and the family has a creek that goes on forever.
• They have lanterns in their garden and the family has stars in the sky.
• They have a piece of land and the family has fields that go farther than the eye can see.
• They buy their food and the family grows their own.
• They have walls to protect them and the family has friends.

The son then said to his father, “Thank you for showing me how poor we are.”

It’s all perspective.  Everything in life is that way.  We get to choose how we want to define everything in our world.  It’s both a blessing and curse – depending on your perspective.  Which will you choose?

For more information on the Commanding Wealth Circles, visit our website.

It pays to play to your strengths. But how do you pinpoint the areas that will increase revenue and earn you more money? Simple: by following the Pareto Principle. Developed by Italian economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto, this short, simple rule states that 80% of our results come from 20% of our activity.

You may have heard that we wear 20% off of our clothes 80% of the time, and the same 80/20 rule applies to business. For instance, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers. Conversely, 80% of your complaints come from 20% of your customers and 80% of the profits made in your industry come from 20% of the companies. The exact percentages may vary, perhaps 75% and 25% instead of 80% and 20%, but the concept remains the same.

By identifying customers and areas that are most valuable to you and your business, you can boost your bottom line without working longer or harder. In fact, you’ll be working smarter. At the same time as you’re finding your most profitable areas, you also need to think about those customers or products that are not performing well and may actually be dragging down you and your business.

For instance, if you own a secondhand music store, you probably have some inventory that is flying off the shelves and other products that just aren’t selling, no matter how low you price them. By dividing your products in categories (perhaps by music genre), you could see which items your customers are buying and which ones you should stop carrying. By matching your products to customer demand, you’ll be able to turn over inventory more quickly and make more money, all without adding more square footage or spending more money on advertising.

Here are some areas to consider in your own business:

*Employees – Who is your rock star salesperson and what you can you do to help them achieve even better results? Also, who is underperforming and might they be better suited to other tasks? Both are important considerations.

*Customers Calculate how much revenue you’re getting from each customer and subtract the cost of administrative time or other costs to maintain that relationship. Once you’ve figured out which customers are in your top 20%, you can make some strategic decisions about how to better meet their needs.

*Markets – If you sell products to different markets, evaluate these markets with the same principle you used for evaluating your customers. The markets that are earning you the most money should become obvious, so you can start examining the direction in which the company is headed.

Once you’ve identified areas that aren’t paying off, you have to be ruthless and kick them to the curb. Your business cannot flourish if you’re spending valuable time and resources on customers or products that are unprofitable. Once you make the strategic decision to cull wasted space and focus on areas that earn more money, you’ll have a much better chance of surviving, and even flourishing, in a competitive business environment.

© 2009 Ali International, LLC

Self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com

But then, Michele, since everything comes back to you anyway, can there ever be too much?

I love you too much anyway,
The Universe

Want your own messages from the Universe? Visit tut.com.

I used to think I wanted to shut it off until someone asked me one day during a healing session if that’s what I really wanted.  It only took a second for me to realize I didn’t.  I LOVE all the ideas that come to me.  I LOVE learning.  I LOVE it all!  I’m so grateful she asked me that or I may have spent the rest of my life trying to shut it off.

So, where am I at today?  Where am I not would probably be a quicker answer but I’ll give you just the highlights and try to keep it short.

Tomorrow I start school.  I can’t wait.  Every couple of hours here at home today I pop my head around the corner and asking my family if they know what tomorrow is.  They say no or Monday and then I say, “It’s a school day!”  Can you tell how excited I am?!  First on my agenda?  Learning all about color theory.  Well, second.  First I tested out of one of my classes because I felt I knew most of what the class would cover.  They said I was the first one to try testing out of this class and pass!  Yeah me!

Many of you know I spent 15 years in parks and rec.  I left in part because I really wanted to be able to offer programs and services that I am passionate about.  Not ones that someone else told me I had to offer.  Now I’m doing that.  The other thing I loved doing for parks and rec was marketing and graphic design.  That’s what I’m going back to school for!  I know I have some skills and I could gain more on the internet or in an occasional class here or there but I really want structure – the most missed component of having a 9 to 5 job.   It’s great to be able to work in my pjs on the couch and to decide when to schedule things and I still crave some structure.

It will also create a network of people who are passionate about the same thing for me.  I have this for the other aspects of who I am but not so much for people who love designing.  I am also really excited to be the student here and connect with other students too!

The theme here?  I saw that I wanted/needed something and I figured out how to make it happen and I did it!

What is it that you want?

What are you willing to do to make it happen?

When you see a roadblock/obstacle, what do you do?  Do you give up or find a way to go around it?

I’d love to hear from you…please leave a comment!

Only when you care enough for people to help them pass you by can you truly consider yourself a leader.

Tweeted by barefoot_exec

“I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time.” ~Anna Freud

Shared via Twitter by UCanHealUrLife

Thank you to Deb Bollom from d5coaching.com for sharing this amazing quote. I love it and had to share with others!

If you tweet, try hootsuite.com. It’s a free site that allows you, among other things, to schedule out your tweets. Consistency is one of the most important things in social media.

Another favorite of mine is the Twitter application within Facebook. This application can be found just by doing a search on Facebook. Once installed, it allows you to tweet from your facebook page AND whatever you tweet from anywhere shows up on your Facebook page as a status update!

Each month, our Lodestone members have the opportunity to be a part of these calls – a different topic explored each time based on what our membership needs. This is a free, exclusive opportunity for Premium and Associate members. If you are a healing arts practitioner and are looking to connect with others and receive support with your business, check out our website at www.lodestonedynamics.com! Special pricing is available through June 2009.

May your days be filled with joy, love, abundance and success!

Have you ever wished you had more confidence in any area of your life?  Your job? Relationships?  Intuitive living?  I know I’ve been saying for years that I wish I had more confidence in all of those areas and more.  I’ve wondered why I didn’t have more and I’ve wondered what my life would look like if I did have it.  I’ve played the “if onlys” over and over in my mind.

Finally, after tiring of seeing little change, I decided it was time to get out there and start doing things.  I realized that things weren’t going to change on their own.  One of the areas I looked at was my job.  Although there were many things I enjoyed about my job, I didn’t really feel passionate about it any more and felt like there was another direction I’d like to go.  One day I just took the afternoon off and went out looking for office space in the community.  As luck would have it, I found a perfect space that I could afford.  Then I joined the Chamber and before I opened my doors, I had my first official client call to schedule an appointment.  Things just grew from there. 

I realized that every time I took a risk, I gained confidence!  And not just in the area I took the risk (for example, my job) but in every area of my life.  Even though I’ve heard for most of my life that practice will do that for you, this was different for me.  It wasn’t really practicing as much as just going outside of my comfort zone to achieve the things I want. 

Rhonda Britten, author, calls this stretch, risk or die.  Imagine a bullseye and the middle of it is your comfort zone.  The next ring out is the stretch zone, the next one is the risk zone, and the furthest one out is the die zone.  Stretching is something you’ve been avoiding but isn’t really that hard to do.  The risk zone is when you doing something that is scary for you and if you do it; it will probably change your life.  The die zone is where you do something that is so scary, you feel like a part of you is going to die.   As you visit the outer edges of your bullseye, you will be able watch your life change before your very eyes.   

I invite you to take a look at an area of your life you’d really like to change.  Come up with two stretches, two risks, and a die.  Start with the stretches and go through each item on your list.  As you do, acknowledge each one proudly, no matter how small it may seem.  Each time it will get easier and easier and you will feel your confidence begin to grow. 

To have the life you desire you must move out of your comfort zone and into the stretch, risk, AND die zones.  Know that you are worth it!  Today’s your day!  Make it count!

I have struggled all my life with a feeling that something was missing. I could never quite put my finger on why or what it was, I just knew that something wasn’t right. I spent many years being angry with others for things I felt were wrong in my life and trying to run from the pain inside. I took this anger out in a variety of ways, none of them healthy or productive. In general, I wasn’t a happy person.

Over the past few years, I decided it was time to do some soul searching and I sought out ways to improve my life as well as my outlook. I explored many avenues of learning. I tried yoga and started meditating. I explored psychic development and tried to live my life more intuitively. I also explored a variety of alternative healing methods. What I discovered was a common denominator in all of these paths – compassion for all, including ourselves.

All the peace and happiness on this earth and in my being can be summed up in one word – compassion.

As we travel on this journey, we tend to look around us in every direction possible searching for the answer when in fact the answer lies within us. Life takes on a whole new meaning when we realize that our entire purpose here on this earth is to develop compassion for all.

Wanting others to be free of suffering is the definition of compassion. Each and every day becomes more meaningful when we fill it with a kind heart, less selfishness, and an attitude of service to others.

Through my own journey, I struggle with this every day. Being a spiritual being in a human body is truly the most difficult task to master.

When I am at work and at home, I am forever put in situations that challenge my ability to have compassion for all. As hard as I try, it seems like something always comes up that I struggle with. This has been a source of frustration for me. I couldn’t figure out why this was so hard. The concept is so basic, I thought, so why can’t I do it? I came to the conclusion that I don’t think perfection means being able to have complete compassion for all in every situation; after all, we are human and have human emotions to cope with. The perfection is in our intention to do it as much as possible and to keep it in the forefront of our minds at all times. In doing so, our ability to have complete compassion grows and we are able to truly feel this way more and more of the time.

Here are some of the ways that have helped me in my quest to have compassion for all:

1. Realize we all come from the same energy.  We are all connected in some way. In Dr. Wayne Dyer’s tape set entitled, The Road is Never Crowded along the Extra Mile; he shares a saying from the Native Americans that says no tree has branches as foolish as to fight amongst themselves. We are all as connected as the branches on a tree and should treat each other as such.

2. Forgive someone from the past.  Through our connectedness, we become angry or resentful towards someone for something they have done or said. We are the only ones who suffer when this happens. Being resentful or angry is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It will eat at you as long and as much as you let it. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you dismiss what they did or said. It simply means, you don’t allow it to affect you in a negative way. Letting go can have a liberating effect on our hearts and souls.

3. Put yourself in their shoes.  When you start to feel angry with someone, put yourself in their shoes. Picture them as a small child. Think about what they have experienced and how those experiences have affected them.  The experiences we’ve had in our lives make us the person that we are today.

4. Be in service to others.  Put yourself in a position to be of service to others. When you live your life thinking in terms of “How can I be of service to this person?”, it softens your heart.

5. Practice living with an open heart.  Lead with your heart in everything you say and do, realizing that along the way there will be many who will not be receptive to this way of thinking and that’s ok. Remember, you can’t control what others do or how they feel. Living your life in this manner will bring a great tenderness into your being that will flow into everything you do and others will notice.

6. Lastly, when faced with a challenging situation, keep repeating “love and compassion” in your mind.  Whenever I am struggling with something, I repeat “love and compassion” in my mind over and over again. This helps me remain calm and focused and to remember what our purpose here on earth is.

Arthur H. Stainback said, “The value of compassion cannot be overemphasized. Anyone can criticize.  It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know that no one cares or understands.” It’s time for us to do our part to make sure that everyone feels as if someone cares. It’s time for us to stand up and, in the words of Gandhi, “Be the change we want tosee in the world.”

This book shares my 2 cents on various attributes I feel are important for success as an entrepreneur.  It was a joy to write and I loved finding just the right photos and quotes to go along with my content.  I hope you’ll check it out!

If we did not have problems, we would never learn strength;
If we did not have struggles, we would never learn resilience;
If we did not have delays, we would never learn patience;
If we did not have resistance, we would never learn perseverance;
If we did not have hopelessness, we would never learn faith;
If we did not have suffering, we would never learn compassion.