Women are the Power
Filed under: dreams into reality, network marketing, women entrepreneurs
At the Rising Star Academy in Anaheim on November 6th and 7th, Marci Shimoff (http://www.happyfornoreason.com) spoke to a standing-room-only crowd of about 400 women, with a sprinkling of men. She shared many facts that were news to me. Here’s a sampling.
The actual spending power in the average American household lies in women’s hands. Eighty percent, 80%! of all purchase decisions are made by women. If you are creating a business that revolves around products or service, you want to be talking with the women. It stands to reason that it would be wise to know how to talk to the women.
Research has shown that women have much greater brand loyalty than men. Once a woman falls in love with a product, it is very hard to get her to abandon it. If your product or service is new on the market, you want to be talking to the women. Gain their loyalty, and they will stay with you for a long time. Again, it stands to reason that it would be wise to know how to talk to the women.
If you’re looking for business partners, you should know that women start more businesses than men; in fact, 50 times more! And you’ve probably already heard or perhaps noticed that 70% of all network marketing professionals are women. So, if you are creating your own amazing business in network marketing, you want to be talking to the women. And you know what? It stands to reason that it would be wise to know how to talk to the women.
Women process information and make decisions differently than men. Women are more innerpreneurial than men. For women, it’s not just about the money and climbing the ladder. There’s more to success, in a woman’s world, than money and recognition. Women care about the impact they have on society. We are cultural creatures. We are inspired to share our mission of bringing health, wealth, consciousness, authenticity into our everyday business relationships. We are cultural creatives, interested in personal development, making the world a better place, a greener place, a more highly spiritual place.
When you are talking to the women, show them how they can combine their desire to make a difference, with their desire for financial freedom. It’s there, hidden in your prosperity plan, your products, your business culture. Bring it out, sculpt it into a blossoming possibility, show them how they can turn it into a reality. Show them how they can make a difference in their family’s lives, in their friends lives, and the steps they need to take to transform those desires into reality.
Genuine inner freedom is the unspoken goal of our every action and thought. When women are safe to blossom into the nurturing, generous, loving souls that they habitually keep tucked away in their hearts, they CAN change the world. They WILL change the world.
The Dalai Lama said, “The world will be saved by the Western woman.” There is NO force equal to the strength of a woman determined to rise.
Hey, I’ve been fired, Week 2
Filed under: building your business, dreams into reality, entrepereneurs, overcoming fear, positive attitude, time management, try try again
Surprisingly, now that I’ve been fired, Monday mornings are the worst day of the week. Usually, on Monday mornings, we ramp ourselves up for our work week. We drag ourselves out of bed and step into our workday routine. A lot of times, we hate Monday mornings. We feel like we’re heading back to confinement, after a weekend of freedom and doing exactly what we want to do.
So you would think that Monday mornings would be great, if you didn’t have to go into work. Freedom! That would probably be true, if there wasn’t a fear clamped firmly in my gut, settling wetly on my heart, a constant undertone of worry about the future, worry about how things are going to turn out, how does this movie end. . .
The loss of morning routines can be disconcerting and can aggravate worry and fear. So it follows that establishing an alternative morning routine can provide a sense of order and purpose to the day. Since I’m calling the shots now, I’ve decided to include things that I enjoy into my morning routine. But it’s also important to include things that maintain my self-discipline and increase my certainty of success.
On my list of enjoyable things: meditation, yoga postures, writing, hot bath, gazing into my cat’s adoring eyes, talking with my husband, watercolor, taking action. On my list of disciplined things: balanced breakfast, walking, catching up on emails, paying bills, waiting.
Taking action and waiting are a balancing act. I’ve signed up another 4 people in my business in the last few days, sent out a newsletter, written follow-up emails to everyone on the list, sent out samples and literature, gotten my downline pointed in the direction that’s best for each person. . . Taking action is the easy part for me. But it has to be balanced with waiting to be truly effective. I have to consciously make myself wait, wait for others to sift through the information in their brains in order to move forward; wait for the emails to be opened and read, absorbed; wait for the postal service to deliver the samples and literature; wait for the soup to simmer and be ready for lunch.
A friend told me: take care not to drive faster than your angels can fly. Last week, a couple of times, I drove too fast and splatted against the wall at the dead end because I missed the side street where the answer was patiently waiting for me. I put in motion a couple of projects that didn’t need doing. I left voice messages that were outdated after I opened my email and found the answers waiting for me there.
Progress is directional. If you have trouble taking action, then progress for you is convincing yourself to take action. If you’re doing too many things and spinning your wheels, then progress for you is slowing down and balancing your life. And when your life changes drastically, your directional progress may require a fresh look and evaluation of what’s really going on and what would be the best direction for your energy and focus.
So this Monday morning, I’m establishing a new routine, balanced yet active, thoughtful yet reaching out, generating a positive attitude, nurturing hope that turns into faith that turns into belief that turns into reality. I’m waiting yet taking action, balancing the two opposites perfectly in my heart, letting the joy blossom and grow, enveloping my day, guiding me toward the right thing to do.
How is your Monday?
Hey, I’ve been fired; week 1
Filed under: building your business, dreams into reality, entrepereneurs, learning network marketing, overcoming fear, overcoming obstacles, positive attitude
Many things change when you’ve lost your job. Routine is one of the changes that rears up in front of you immediately. Here it is, Monday morning, and I’m home with no real agenda in front of me. It’s tempting to go back to bed, curl up with a good book or engrossing video, talk to my cat or call a friend and chat for an hour or two. Escape can be very inviting.
But that’s not going to get me where I want to go. Sometimes you have to just give in and indulge your fear, but I’m determined not to let that become a habit. The best antidote for fear and uncertainty is taking action. I’ve generated some very strong leads, and I’m going to follow up on them today, with confidence and genuine friendliness.
The business and products that I have to offer people are the best that I’ve ever found. I’m crazy about my products, and the people who have tried them are now crazy about them, too. My company is headed up by the best business people around, and I love working with them. I have so much to offer people, and I’m using that knowledge to feed my enthusiasm and take charge of my attitude, my world view.
In parallel with this, I’m opening up communication about some consulting work that I can do on the side, a few hours a week, to help pay the bills while my business continues to grow. I know that this will give me some breathing room and help me to feel a bit safer financially.
This is a bit tricky, because it would be easy to spread too thin, putting energy into consulting rather than focusing completely on building my business. But you can’t build a business with confidence if you’re working from a platform of fear. It’s important to make your present reality one that you can live in with an open heart, so that that’s what you show the world, rather than an underlying edge of fear.
To manage both of these endeavors, I’m committing to taking care of MY business FIRST, then turning to the consulting sideline to keep it flowing along. I’m keeping my priorities very clear in my mind and in my heart, so the universe knows how it’s supposed to respond to help me move forward into my new reality.
I’m enjoying the journey, while I move toward my destination.
I’ve been fired! Day 2
Filed under: MLM, building your business, dreams into reality, entrepereneurs, giving up, network marketing, overcoming obstacles, perfect business, positive attitude, solving problems, try try again
The aftermath of being fired can start to set in a day or two after the main event. I’m focusing on all of the positive things that come to mind. Like, it’s a gorgeous blue-skied day out there, and I’m not stuck in a cubicle, oblivious. I’m still sitting at a computer, but it’s my computer, and I’m working on MY business.
My business partner and I planned a big meeting for tomorrow. We planned it last week, got the room reserved, checked our slide shows and music mix, printed out fliers and put in motion all of the little details that ensure a successful meeting.
I was planning on taking the day off anyway, to really focus on the meeting, but now I have a whole extra day to get things in order. Also, it’s not a huge, late-night push to get it all ready, so I’ll be well-rested and full of genuine enthusiasm tomorrow.
Everything is working out for the best. I feel great! I envision a large turnout for our meeting. We have a powerful slide show, and great pre- and post-meeting activities. We did a run through last week, so both my partner and I know exactly what to do at every step of the meeting. I’ve had time to think everything through and pick up last minute oversights that might have involved some fancy footwork if they’d gone unnoticed.
I am so thankful that I’ve been working on my business part time, so it’s there for me to step into full time when I really needed it. I knew I would be building my business full time at some point, I just hadn’t planned on it being now. But just like starting a family, there’s not often the perfect time. Sometimes you just have to jump and swim as hard as you can.
I am surrounded by supportive, positive people; I have everything I need for tomorrow’s meeting, including a great business partner. We’ve been working together almost a year now, so we really know each other’s style and strengths. We’re a good team, and we’re so lucky to be in this together.
She still has her full time job, and my lay off scared her a bit, but that just motivates both of us to make every moment successful, positive, and full of focused activity and fun.
I keep going back to the fact that it is so important to have something that you can fall back on and build on your own, because corporations are crumbling all around us. Be ready for when it hits you, and your life will blossom instead of collapse. You can do it! I’ll show you how, because, whew, I’ve been there.
Hey! I got fired!
Filed under: MLM, building your business, dreams into reality, entrepereneurs, network marketing, overcoming fear, perfect business, positive attitude, solving problems, timing, women entrepreneurs
Yesterday, my boss fired me. Or maybe I got laid off; not sure what the difference is. Kinder terminology maybe. Regardless of the terms, yesterday I had a job; today I don’t have a job. That’s a big change in my reality, and it happens to a lot of people.
Yesterday, I was pretty upset. It caught me, not completely by surprise, but I didn’t see it coming right now. I knew it was something that could happen, but I had let myself be lulled into a sense of security, of things going on the way they always have. I felt safe and content, and then suddenly, during a 3-minute conversation, I felt vulnerable and all alone.
I cleared out my desk, packed up the artwork and plants that made my little corner pretty and comforting. A friend helped me carry everything out to my car. And I drove away. It happened so fast, and it was so late in the day, I was able to say goodbye to only two people. Today, everyone came in and probably saw my empty spot and wondered what in the world happened.
Now, I sort of knew it could happen, because I knew that money was tight. I knew that some funding that they’d been counting on was maybe not going to happen, but they assured me that it wouldn’t affect me, that they really needed me, and that I was safe. But I wasn’t safe. It did affect me. My world is very different today than it was yesterday, not even 24 hours ago.
That’s the world almost all of us live in today. Things change and they can change FAST.
I went home and told my husband what had happened, and my victory was that I was able to talk without breaking into tears. He was supportive and encouraging and enthusiastic about what door might open next. I was too caught up in my emotion to be swayed by his positive attitude, but I was able to stay off that slippery slope of debilitating fear and despair.
I didn’t sleep much last night, so I woke up tired and groggy. But the amazing thing was, I woke up optimistic, enthusiastic, with a sense of freedom that has stayed with me all day long.
Things happen for a reason. We’ve all heard that, and most of us believe it, but when we’re in the middle of a crisis, we might not be able to feel it. But I feel it. I have been working hard all day long at the thing that I LOVE to do, without fear, without anxiety, just knowing that it feels so right to be doing this. I can focus my full attention on MY own business, without the distraction of someone else’s business.
I’m the main wage earner in my household. My husband is a minister and loves his work, but it doesn’t pay anything at all. My income pays all of the bills, and sends us on vacation and buys us new computers and iPhones. So when my income goes away, our lives change.
But I’m not worried. I know that MY own business is going to grow tremendously over the next two months, because I know what I’m doing, and I can finally, finally focus on what I love to do: MY own amazing business. My own AMAZING business.
The worst financial disaster that could have happened to me and my family happened yesterday. And I’m feeling GREAT!
Abundance
Filed under: MLM, direct sales, dreams into reality, earn money from home, earn money online, entrepereneurs, network marketing, perfect business, positive attitude, women entrepreneurs
You’ve probably heard that jobs are scarce, that we’re in a recession, that things will get worse before they get better, that we’re in for hard times.
That might be true for many people, but it doesn’t have to be true for YOU!!!
My company is experiencing record growth; so are many others. You just have to look in the right places.
The world is rich with possibilities, just waiting for you to look at them.
Open yourself to abundance!
Some people envision the world holding a finite amount of wealth, that if you get a piece of the pie, there will be less on their plate. Ludicrous!
Think about how much wealth existed in 1903, in 846BC, in 1960. Imagine how much wealth will exist in 2083, in 2010. Wealth expands and contracts according to the imagination, inspiration, determination of whoever happens to be standing on the planet.
I have never felt more confident about the financial future of work-at-home business owners. We are the wave of the future. We are stay-at-home, work-at-home moms. We are military wives. We are corporate escapees. We are college students, recent graduates. We are enthusiastic, motivated, inspired, richly rewarded.
You should check us out!
Bean by bean, the bag gets full
Filed under: MLM, direct sales, dreams into reality, entrepereneurs, leadership, learning network marketing, make money online, network marketing, perfect business, positive attitude, try try again
Network marketing doesn’t often explode into being. Some people can do that, but not many. Most of us build over time, solidly, determinedly, cyclically.
I’ve heard people say that their business imploded 5 or 8 or 6 separate times before they hit the top. Mine has imploded twice. It might implode again. That won’t stop me. I KNOW in my heart of hearts, that this is the business that will help the most people the most. That’s MY life goal: to help people blossom into the best version of themselves.
I don’t care how long it takes them. I’m there for them. I match their effort. I lead them where they want to go.
I don’t do it for them. That’s pointless. If a mother never lets her child tie his own shoelaces, then that child grows up hampered. I take the time to show each person his or her next step. I hold the bicycle, running alongside, until she gets her balance, and then watch as she swoops toward her future, calling out encouragement and praise.
And bean by bean, my bag gets full.
I coach each person on how to run alongside the bicycle that someone else is trying to ride. I watch from a distance, my hand shading my eyes from the bright sun of their future.
I watch as, bean by bean, their bags get full.
We’re changing the world, one bean at a time.
Where are you going?
Filed under: dreams into reality, learning network marketing, overcoming obstacles, positive attitude, try try again
When we start a new venture, we don’t always know all of the details. Network marketing definitely falls into that category.
Maybe you can see the whole picture. Maybe you know where you want to go, but aren’t sure how to get there. Maybe you don’t have the slightest idea what you want to do; you simply know that things have GOT to change.
Congratulations!!! You’re ready!
There are a myriad of paths that you can take to business success. A good leader will help you sort through them and find the one that’s perfect for YOU. A good leader will say “Try this. This might be the plan that works best for who you are.”
A good leader will continue to show you the next step. Sometimes the next step will suddenly shine like a beacon, and you can flow forward on your own.
Sometimes you have to put your foot out into the dark before the stepping stone will begin to glow, showing you where to stand next.
Be impeccable in your thoughts and deeds. . .
and let the universe sort out the details.
Do your best, as often as you can. You’ll get better and better, and soon you’ll be showing others how to go where they want to go.
Don’t worry about the entire journey. Focus on where you want to go AND the next step to take you in that direction.
Let your heart guide you. Let your leader guide you. Blend the two, and you’ll end up where you want to be.
Yellow brick road
Filed under: dreams into reality, overcoming fear, overcoming obstacles, positive attitude, try try again, women entrepreneurs
All things are possible. An idea, a dream, starts floating around in your brain, bumping into things, coming into focus, melting into the background, floating, bumping, today, next week, last month.
An insight blossoms in your heart. You see something that speaks directly to your inner self and you know that this is important.
Do you let it go? Do you turn away, sighing?
You don’t have to.
Take the first step. Simply turn your attention to the idea, the dream, the blossom. Hold it firmly, gently, in your heart.
You’ve started.
Every journey begins with a first step. Progress is made, step by step.
Make a commitment to YOUR yellow brick road.
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