Are you paying attention?

Point 1 – Established Track Record. Not only are we 31-years-old with consistent growth, but we just closed out our largest growth ever (32% GROWTH)! Wall Street would eat this company up – but that won’t happen. We are only able to stay true to our program, our customers and the mission statement if we are not clouded by the influence of investors.

Point 2 – Financially Sound. To our first point about Wall Street – We don’t need them! We have developed the infrastructure to grow by another 200% and it is all paid for by cash. When you have a vision and have planned appropriately for that vision that is when something special happens.

We are all very proud of this, but what does it really mean to you? If I didn’t know anything about this company and I was looking to better my personal future, I would spend a little time asking a few questions. Since this growth and stability has been built on helping people live healthier lives – there is something for everyone!

The old phrase is, “only time will tell”. Well time is talking, and this year it is talking about growth! When I was was first introduced to this online shopping club these 12 points of interest were shared with me (View article – Does the concept of working from home intrigue you). Two of these points are related to the financial stability of the company and ring even more true today than they did 5 years ago.

Being Coachable

You have probably heard it most in connection with sports; he or she is “coachable”. While it is certainly relevant to the sports model, have you considered how it also applies in the business environment as well.

It’s not complicated. Listening and learning should be an everyday activity as you grow and develop yourself and your business. Being coachable has a lot to do with linking yourself with one (or a few) trusted mentors. It involves absolute trust in the lessons they provide, just as in sports. Even if it sounds unreasonable or doesn’t make sense, it will as you grow in your business.

We aren’t saying your  ideas and concepts don’t have relevance—they do—but the experience of those you choose as your coaches offers a history of success. That history  is why you chose them.

As you grow and expand personally and professionally, you’ll find a plethora of people and information that are relentlessly trying to influence you and your decisions. This “white noise” must continually be filtered and your coaches can help you sort them into “What is true” and “What isn’t true” categories. This is an ongoing practice.

I have attached an article from INC. to clarify some of information you need to make sound decisions. Choosing your coach or a team of coaches is an indispensable part of your own success. Vett their credentials carefully. What have they accomplished? Do other business people have good things to say about them? Are they focused on you and your goals and not their own? You have an obligation to yourself to be selective and scrupulous in choosing those whose lead you will follow. Remember good leaders are coachable themselves. Now go play the game to win.

 

 

Anxiety Can Be Your Biggest Enemy

All of us experience anxiety to some degree and from time to time. In our business, the business of marketing, you are marketing yourself and your company’s products or services. If your anxiety occurs often and is significant enough, it can become an overwhelming obstacle. The longer it continues at that level the worse it can—and will—get.

Anxiety will not go away by itself. Like everything in life and your career, you must take positive personal steps to overcome it. Your personal and professional life will suffer immensely if you don’t do something to address it. The below article contains some exercises that can and will help you. You need to retrain your brain.

There are some interesting perspectives here that can really help.
They fall into several categories that begin with:
Don’t even talk to anyone, and then talk to people while eliminating any chance of rejection.
Be curious and ask genuine questions. The answers will follow, easily.
Quiet your mental chatter in that moment. Your self-talk is more powerful than you think.
Have fun play games and even bet your friends.
Avoid over thinking.
Fear is a gift of life. It means you’re still alive; you’re still breathing (even if it is heavy).

Like many lines of work, rejection exists within my business and therefore I am exposed to anxiety-related situations regularly. There is no question that approaching someone that I find attractive as a potential customer can trigger those feelings of anxiety. I HAVE TO overcome them. It is my livelihood. Remember, yes is a good answer, but no can be good because it is one step closer to the next yes. Do some positive things today that will help you overcome and enjoy a better life and career. Don’t let anxiety win. It is the most important battle you will fight.

https://www.nicknotas.com/blog/18-exercises-to-overcome-your-fear-of-meeting-people/

http://makegreengogreen.com/article/anxiety-can-be-your-biggest-enemy?barbarahay

Humility Is The Primary Asset To Great Leadership

Great leadership is a complex mix. It can, however, be fairly simple if you apply some structured principles to your leadership style. “Showboating” will turn-off the members of your team or staff. Leaders who come from humility use their own success for the greater good of all.

This article from “Entrepreneur” points out some of the attributes that are necessary for exceptional leadership. Those attributes include humanity; people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Great leaders possess a depth of understanding that includes a heavy dose of humility.

Rank certainly brings status but great leaders use that platform to establish order and discipline among their team members. Balanced authority makes a leader a player’s coach. Those who lead from humility prepare their team to believe in their own personal potential. Great leaders promote others not themselves. They understand the bigger picture.

Exceptional leaders understand the importance of acknowledging and the celebration of their team’s successes. Criticism often produces the opposite effect of what it was intended to do and it is usually done for the ego of the leader and not those being led. It is important to establish an atmosphere of collaboration. Collaboration is far superior to competition.

Great leaders point out that there is no such thing as a losing experience. It is a learning experience and it presents the opportunity for great opportunities. Good leaders accept winning with grace and dignity. That attitude will duplicate among the members of the team. Great leaders recognize that their “power” has been extrapolated from lots of success and lots of suffering.

The best leaders always possess integrity. Their word is their bond and there is never an exception to that principle. Their yes is a yes and their no is a no. Their team will come to understand this and it will grow and grow their trust in their leader. Finally, a great leader never forgets to be grateful; grateful for the team; grateful for the resources they have been provided and grateful for the products and services that continue to provide opportunities for successful growth.

I am fortunate to be associated with a company that has provided me with this kind of great leadership. My team members reflect that great leadership by helping in every way they can without patronizing efforts. They realize how fortunate we all are to be in this together and that evokes all the right attitudes that generate our success. 

http://workingwhileliving.com/article/humility-is-the-primary-asset-to-great-leadership-566?barbarahay

Should I own my own business?

Almost all of us have asked ourselves the question: “do I want my own business?”. I could be my own boss. I would be able to control my hours and spend more time with my family. I could be the determiner of my own income. The reasons to do it abound.

The attached article from the Wall Street Journal could help you assess your own qualifications. It touches on some key issues like needing a strong why to keep you focused and to get you through the, the inevitable “rough patches”. You must be willing (and comfortable) to take on some risk or find a business that has very little or none. You must be willing and able to fill many roles. Early in the development of your business, you will be IT, So, you must stay in balance.

Your Make Green partner has their own business, either part time or as their primary source of income. They would be excited to review their reasons for entrepreneurship and help you inventory your own by sharing their own twelve success factors. Freedom is a great way to make a living.