June 28, 2011

you have a secret admirer

image by flycharlie – click image for info

Dear passion-driven entrepreneur,

I want you to know how much I admire you. You do what so many people dream of but don’t have the courage, permission, or guts to do. You do work that’s often deeply personal, heart-centered, and that makes a real difference in the world.

Is someone handing out awards for this stuff?

Because regardless of if you’ve “made it,” what your sales are, or how many blog visitors you have, you are doing it. And that’s more success than most people on the planet will know.

I hope you will keep it up. For as long as it’s right for you. That you’ll work through the hard bits, seeking support & education when you need it, and doing your own thing when you don’t.

You matter. Your work matters. You’re probably doing even better than you think.

You have an admirer in me. And probably in lots of people you don’t know, but whose lives you have touched with a soft hand-knit cap, a whimsical piece or art, or well-turned phrase.

Give yourself credit. You deserve it.

Gathering light,

 

P.S – Know someone who could use this message? Pass it on.

Filed Under: creativity, inspiration, Plot Notes Tagged With: , , , 19 Comments
June 6, 2011

be eager for the good that is to come

This is a guest post by Rocio Gravenhorst

A Sailor's Suitcase by Bob AuBuchon

Oh what a day! And in a good and bad way at the same time. Yesterday I left my suitcase with all my crafts materials on a bus going home. I guess the tiredness of the day blocked my mind and played a strange trick of not reminding me to pick it up before I jumped off the bus! Sometimes, because we’re trying to do so many things at the same time, our brains cannot handle much information, and we simply slip off with bad results.

But the good news is that I no longer let this kind of situation affect my good vibes! As soon as I found out about the loss of my suitcase, I took a deep breath and I just started to think strategically and trying to find solutions. Sadly the customer service doesn’t work today so I have to wait till Monday, but I already send them an email asking for help.

Being an entrepreneur has changed my life 180 degrees. If something like this would had happened only a year ago, I would have been completely clueless about what to do.

Being my own boss has taught me how to accept problems as they come and not to panic and hide from them, but to find solutions and take action!

If I let the worry, fear, and stress take over, that would be a mistake that could cost me a lot! This is why I trained my mind to focus only on solutions, actions, and also to think positively all the time, and
trust me it works!

A good business is not the one that hasn’t got any problems; a good business is reflected in how we tackle problems and find solutions strategically.

It took me a while to understand this, but only my determination, constant learning, and self discipline led me to this reality. Nowadays life seems simpler and easier, and no matter how bad the problem is, I just “Keep calm and carry on!” That’s the old good British way of dealing with it.

Not that I am happy with the loss of my precious suitcase packed with all my materials, but wouldn’t it be worse if I was banging my head to the wall and going mad for this inconvenience? Things happen for a reason, and who knows if something bigger and better is on its way that I don’t even need to worry about it anymore.

Life plays in miraculous ways, so why not be eager for the good that has yet to come?

Life as an entrepreneur is an amazing journey that shapes you, makes your spirit stronger, and develops hidden talents you didn’t know you had. For me it has been the best journey I have taken so far and has really improved my way of living and seeing the world with another set of eyes.

If it wasn’t for problems and struggles life will be very dull and plain; we don’t want them but we need them to kick our backs and push us to greater things. My redundancy and layoff were the reason for taking this path, which is leading me to a brighter future which I am so eager to live! I am conscious about the possibilities of upcoming problems on the way and one thing is certain: I know exactly how I will think and react to those situations.

 

Rocio Gravenhorst is an interior designer with a passion for fashion. After being made redundant from her job last summer, she was left with no other option than to think creatively. She learned how to sew on youtube and started Cio Von Horst Studio designing high-end handbags with a conscious approach to the environment. Like her on Facebook and you’ll be entered to win one of her handbags! Follow on Twitter as @CioVonHorst.

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May 31, 2011

Empowerment 101

This is a guest post by Marie Noelle Marineau.


“Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities.”
- Wikipedia

Empowerment. You read this word everywhere and probably understand its meaning. But are you empowering yourself? Do you develop confidence in your own CAPACITIES?

If you’re still thinking about the answer, you probably don’t. Developing confidence in your own capacities is pretty much one of the basics of running your own business… and if you think you’re not running your own business but just making some money selling things you do, you got it wrong: that’s what business is!

You are the boss, the artist, the sales manager, marketing manager, the customers services manager and the PR. You’re everyone in your business. You have no choice but to empower yourself to succeed. Gain the self-confidence you deserve because you’re doing the job of at least six persons. You’re awesome!

Empowering yourself can be difficult for a lot of people, especially women. Lack of self-confidence and political, economic and social backgrounds can sometime make a huge difference in whether you will empower yourself or not. That can be changed, but it needs work.

Exercises to empower yourself

- Treat yourself as if you were a really nice work colleague or your best friend. You would be nice, you would encourage when it’s not easy, you would allow mistakes cuz’ we’re all human.

- Make a list of all the tasks you have to do in your business and associate them with a job title. See how many great positions you are filling at the moment? This should make you understand one thing: if something goes wrong you can always ask another manager to help you. But since you’re filling all of the position available, you have all the power. You’re the boss. Your decisions will be the best decisions anyone in your business could have taken and no one will argue with them.

- Make some ground rules. List all the problems or big decisions you could possibly have and think about them. Write down different way to deal with them and how you feel about each of them. Then, you should be able to see which one is the best for you and your business. Keep this sheet somewhere in case you need it someday, when you won’t be able to think straight about a real problem. Those are your rules, stick to them as long as you feel great about them.

What stops you from empowering yourself?

 

Marie Noelle Marineau is a soap maker, a writer and an entrepreneur. After working a few years in the hospitality industry as a desk manager and front office manager, she decided to leave everything to work from home to raise her family. She blogs at n0elle.com where she shares her thoughts on creativity, communication and handmade business. Follow her on Twitter at @noellee or on Facebook.

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February 25, 2011

The Full Time Job Of Being A Goddess

A guest post by Goddess Leonie.

When I was growing up, I knew in my heart of hearts who I was destined to be:

Artist, poet, writer. Someone who helped people and changed the world.

I heard all the stories of course – the stories about how artists starved, that there were no real jobs in the world doing the things I loved and adored.

I decided I wasn’t going to listen.

So I embarked on an Epic Quest.

A Quest I like to call:

Discover the Holy Grail of How The Heck To Find The Thing I Love The Most And Make An Income From It.

The HG for short.

So my epic quest began my working out exactly what the heckomondo I wanted to do. I finished school & went to 3 different universities to study 15 different subjects. My last subject? Art History. I quit university after realizing that I wanted to be making art history instead of writing about it.

I kept working – first as a legal secretary, and then for the Australian Government in an office job. My motto was to take glitter with me wherever I went – so that’s what I did. No matter where I worked, I had FUN.

And in lunch hours and at night and on weekends, I kept playing with my passions. I painted and wrote and took photos and started going to sacred women’s circles and started blogging just to share about it.

I can still remember the day that someone wanted to buy one of my artworks that I’d shared on my blog.

It was a humungo, elephant-sized dream of mine come bursting true!

After that, it was just following scent after scent of new passions and new explorations. I sold art prints. I created and self-published my first book. I designed t-shirts. I sold art at markets. I started running my own women’s circles, then creating my own retreats. I photographed goddesses wherever I went.

It was utterly joyful and glorious.

Then, three years ago, I got cranky with the fact that these things I loved doing so much? They weren’t any where near giving me an income that could mean quitting my day job.

And how I longed for a job title that just said: Leonie.

I realized that I spent so many years building my creative and spiritual “muscles” – but none in building my business muscles!!! I needed to learn how to be a Business Goddess so I could actually share my gifts with the world in a gloriously profitable way.

So I poured myself into building my business muscles. I read business and finance books and blogs and magazines. And I started trying them all out in my business. Taking action after action, step after step.

I developed e-courses and meditation kits and a thriving custom art practice and workbooks and coaching services and an online Goddess Circle membership program.

In the space of three years, I’ve grown my business into something that was just my sweet little hobby into a thriving enterprise that employs me and my love. We have been able to move across the countryside to tropical paradise, and both stay at home to raise our baby daughter Ostara.

It’s such a brilliant, blazing dream… and I am so grateful for it.

I am so convinced that every soul in this world can build a business just by sharing their beautiful, unique gifts in the world. This job of mine? Of being a Goddess? It just didn’t exist ten years ago. Everyday, new, exquisite, rainbow-flavoured jobs are being created. It’s utterly excited.

The world is filled with possibilities… all we need do is turn up, with cowgirl hat in tow… and dive in!

Goddess Leonie is an incorrigible gigglesnort, professional goddess blogger & artist mermaid hippy. She is the creator of the online Goddess Circle and popular spirituality blog www.GoddessGuidebook.com.

Filed Under: creative thinkers, guest posts Tagged With: , , 9 Comments
January 13, 2011

answers to your burning questions: part 2

candle holders by jean pelle - click image for more info

Last week, I shared 9 answers to your burning questions on 3 different blogs. This week, I’ve got 10 more answers on 4 new blogs – plus – 2 guest posts on 2 more blogs.

What can I say? I get around.

On Kristen’s blog, I’m answering:

  • What do you think the future of online commerce will look like?
  • What changes have you noticed in the online craft community since you’ve been blogging?
  • What is one of the biggest mistakes you see new crafters/artists make when they venture into selling their work online?

On Elizabeth’s blog, Letters from a Small State, I’m answering:

  • How do you SEE the world?
  • Where have you traveled that has impacted the way you think and why?
  • If you had to leave your house right now forever, what would you take for yourself in one small duffle bag?

On Alicia’s blog, I’m answering:

  • How do get the most mileage out of media coverage?
  • What are your best strategies for getting over that “hump of fear” to get those scary biz things done?
  • Aside from Twitter and FB, what do you think the best newest social networking sites will be for 2011?

And on Oh My Handmade, Jessika wanted to know who/what/where inspires me? Read my answer.

On Women in Business, I shared a post on a topic that’s near & dear to my heart. As women entrepreneurs, we have a tendency to “play a part” or fill a role instead of finding our own path & our own success. I know that I’ve struggled with this and I think you might have too. Read my thoughts here.

And finally, I shared a little of my social media philosophy on The Mogul Mom. Find out what I have to say about building a community using social media.

Filed Under: guest posts Tagged With: , , 4 Comments