Archive for September, 2009

I recently listened to an interview on Sirius Radio between two of my favorite people on earth. It’s a real treat to see one of them in action, but to have both of them in one room having a conversation is very exciting for me.

Howard Stern

Michael Moore

I love both of them for the same reasons:

1. They are completely fearless

2. They stand up for what they believe in

3. They’re successful and well known for challenging the status quo

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Title: Women’s Business Booster Series
Location: South Hadley Public Library
Description: Women Business Owners Offer Free Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

As talented professionals around the area continue to lose their jobs, new entrepreneurs are blossoming and realizing the potential for new enterprises. Opportunities are around us, and the women of the WBOA (Women Business Owners Alliance of Pioneer Valley) are offering free advice to women who are considering and recognizing the benefits of self employment during these times of change.

Six members of the WBOA will share their stories about making the transition from weekly paychecks to self employment, the balancing act of family versus career, and how to handle the business as a whole, not just being great at your craft.

“The opportunities for women interested in starting a business are endless right now. The women who are willing to be creative, get motivated, and find their courage are the ones we want to guide through the transition by telling our stories and offering advice,” says Angela Lussier, member and PR Chair of the WBOA.

The women of the WBOA will be offering free seminars at the South Hadley Public Library on Bardwell Street in South Hadley from 6-8 PM on Wednesday evenings. Topics include:

Week 1 (9/30/09): Making the Transition & Building Your Confidence
When you launch a new business, it’s important to go in with your eyes open and your head held high. Maintaining a clear path and chin up despite the inevitable setbacks is another challenge! Learn about what is important to focus on and what can be a distraction as you start your new life.
Seminar features Ann Latham, consultant, speaker, author, and president of Uncommon Clarity, a business consulting firm in Western Mass & Angela Lussier, owner of 365 Degrees Consulting, a career consulting firm in Feeding Hills.

Week 2 (10/7/09): Finding the Balance & Dealing with Roadblocks
Being a woman in business means balancing your family life with your career, while dealing with the challenges of being successful and keeping it all together. Hear from the women who have been there, and how they’re making it happen every day.
Seminar features Suzanne Larocque, owner of Sleaque Images, a photography studio in East Longmeadow & Linda McDonald, certified life coach and owner of Reach Resources in Easthampton.

Week 3 (10/14/09): Building Your Business & Creating a Vision for the Future
There’s more to running a business than being good at your craft. How do you market it to your clients when 68% of all business is lost to poor follow up? How do you not waste your marketing efforts chasing dead end leads? Who should you make key relationships with? You’ll also learn about the importance of branding and maintaining a professional image to win the client.

Seminar features Becky Castro, CPCC, PCC, a certified business coach and owner of I Love Monday Mornings in Northampton & Allison Biggs, an independent graphic designer serving small business owners in Western Mass.

For more information on the seminars, contact Angela Lussier at 413-426-2720 or angela@my365degrees.com.
The Women Business Owners Alliance of Pioneer Valley (WBOA) is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting current and aspiring women business owners and professionals in developing and growing their companies. This organization provides monthly programs, networking opportunities, educational and charity-focused events, and inspiration & support for women all over the Pioneer Valley.
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2009-09-30
End Time: 20:00

Zig Ziglar on stage at the Get Motivated Seminar

I’m not a critic, but I think there’s enough valuable information and ideas to warrant a blog. So, here’s my introduction of the Law of Low Expectations and my review of the Get Motivated Seminar. Few things before you start:

1. I condensed 8 hours of speeches into 5 minutes and 8 seconds of reading for you. (I read it and used a stopwatch, I swear). I picked the best points, nuggets, and I highlighted the Best Of and the Worst Of. Yes, it’s a good investment of 5 minutes.

2. If you’re reading this and you were there too, leave a comment. I want to know what others thought about this.

Here we go:

Someone in my Toastmasters group gave a great speech about low expectations a couple of months ago. He called it “The Key To A Happy Life”. I wasn’t sure if I liked this way of thinking, was it a way of tricking our minds to believe something in order to avoid disappointment? Being the Mad Scientist that I am, I decided to experiment with it. Read the rest of this entry »

Bored with the traditional resume? Me too.

Actually, is there a word for “mega bored” or “ultimate extreme bored”? If there is, that’s the category I fall into.

Because of my lack of interest in doing things that make no sense, I invented the Anti-Resume. Here’s the easy way of describing what it is:

The Anti-Resume is a personal branding and marketing tool being used by innovative job seekers. It’s a way of actually showing what you can do, instead of just talking about it.

For example, saying that you’re “innovative” on your traditional resume doesn’t really add up in my head. How can you be innovative if you’re using a marketing tool older my great grandmother? However, if you create a very cool video or portfolio (both examples of Anti-Resumes) you don’t even HAVE to say you’re innovative, your work speaks for itself.

So, instead of showing you a random example, I thought I would show you one of my Anti-Resumes. Yes, you can have more than one. You can have 10, 50, 100…the possibilities are endless! It all depends on your audience and what you’re trying to achieve.

Details on this particular Anti-Resume:

It took 4 weeks, (50 hours of work), and several trips to Michael’s for supplies

I spent a total of $26.57 on it (it doesn’t have to be expensive to be good)

2 Chiropractor visits were in order after sitting in a hunched position at my desk for hours on end

It got me 2 jobs (the only 2 I was trying to get)

Since it’s a few years old, when I look at it now I can see things I would do differently. That’s the fun part – you can always create new ones and update the info. Check it out and leave a comment – I’d love to hear what you think!

Enfield ReminderNews

BY AMY GRIGITIS

September 1, 2009

Link to ReminderNews story

Photo by Amy Grigitis

Angela Lussier is no slouch. One hour after leaving her full-time job on April 1, 2009, she had already taken the first steps towards starting her own career consulting company. Now, five months later, at the helm of 365 Degrees Consulting and with the title of Creative Career Consultant, 28-year-old Lussier is pursuing her dream of helping others realize their own dreams.

Lussier takes a creative approach to helping her clients achieve success. Her goal is to demonstrate to people that it’s liberating to be themselves.

“I want people to know that the world of job-seeking is changing. Doing the same thing as everyone else to find a job doesn’t work anymore,” she said.

Lussier assists clients through common life changes like relationships, fear and setting goals. She offers help in the form of seminars, one-on-one consulting and group workshops, with the universal message : Think, create and be.

Her business is built upon two principles : be real with yourself, and do what you love.

“I reinforce that job searching can be a time to reinvent yourself and your path,” Lussier said. “There is no reason to feel down or worthless for not having a job. I have seen people who say the job change was a blessing in disguise, because it opened new doors and let them take a new direction in life.”

Lussier’s own new direction began with an experiment: scheduling 32 free seminars at various venues throughout the area for the first 100 days of her company’s launch. The purpose of the seminars was to kick off the business, gain exposure and meet like-minded people. After the final tutorial at the Enfield Public Library on Wednesday, Aug. 19, Lussier said, “Those seminars were the best move I could have made.”

The concluding seminar, titled, “Top 10 Ways to Blow the Socks Off Your Employer Your First 2 Weeks on the Job,” was designed to help job-seekers apply the skills they said they had in the interview to the actual job.

Full of thoughtful tips like, “Get to know your coworkers,” “Be a reciprocal sponge (don’t just take in ideas, give some, too),” “Create a list of your goals” and the number-one tip, “Go above and beyond expectations with everything you do,” the last seminar and the 31 leading up to it earned her significant and inspiring feedback.

“The most common feedback I get is that the message I’m spreading is different . I give them hope,” Lussier said. “Being themselves is what will get them far – but first they must discover who they are and what they want.” The second most common response cuts to the quick of the message Lussier is spreading: people are inspired to try things they would never normally do.
“It’s wonderful to watch people take chances and let go of their fear,” Lussier said.

After holding a series of jobs over the past 10 years, such as radio marketing, human resources and directing a nonprofit agency, Lussier said the one thread connecting all her previous jobs was a stifling atmosphere. She decided that beginning her own business was the way to personal fulfillment and happiness.

“I’m very interested in reaching as many people as I can about doing what they love,” Lussier said. “Ultimately, I’d like to create centers or schools that nurture creativity, stretching the imagination and challenging all to explore who they are.”
And change is coming. With a plan in place to expand her business to include talented people who are agents of change, she will continue on her path to inspire people to discover their passions and do what they love.

Angela Lussier can be contacted by phone at (413) 426-2720 or e-mail at angela@my 365degrees.com.

How do you define yourself?

Susan, a woman I met a few weeks ago, said she spent most of her career working on the east coast. An assignment took her to San Francisco recently and she told me an interesting story that happened while she was there. If you think cultural differences are interesting, read on…

When Susan arrived in California, she didn’t know anyone. On her first day of work, a co-worker invited her to a cocktail party they were having that night. She agreed, and showed up that evening. When she arrived, a casually dressed man by the name of Billy engaged her in conversation and asked her what she did. She replied “I’m in the financial industry”. She returned the favor by asking what he did. He said, “I surf”. She said (caught off guard), “You surf for a job?” He replied, “No, I surf for fun. That’s my hobby.”

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