Archive for October, 2009

I’m posting this video of my friend Becky Blanton who spoke at TED Global in London a few months ago. She got the opportunity to talk because she won a contest Daniel Pink was running. Awesome!

Last weekend, I finally talked my boyfriend into moving the living room around. You would have thought I was asking him to move to Iceland judging by the resistance I was getting from his side of the couch. After a well thought out discussion, I won. I won because there was really no risk associated with moving the furniture around, just time and energy. He finally went for it and we got to work. Are you like me and have a need to move furniture around every 6 months? I get really bored with the same old thing, and moving furniture around gives me a sense of renewal, newness, and brings more energy to the room.

We got everything moved around and took a look. It was like we moved – it was an entirely different room. It looked bigger, it felt better, and it flowed well. It’s been a few days since we rearranged the furniture, and it is actually helping me be more productive and it’s been easier to focus. The fresh feel of the room has brought new energy and new ideas.

Something as simple as moving your desk or working on your computer in a different room can bring inspiration and motivate you in ways you didn’t think possible. Is your job search or business lagging behind? Take the simple step of rearranging your surroundings and see how it makes you feel. You may find it’s just the thing you need to re-energize your goals and get you closer to what you are trying to achieve!

Okay, okay, here are some before and afters:

Before

After - a totally different room, right? It's amazing what curtains can do...

I recently won 2 tickets to the Munich Haus‘ Oktoberfest from Garvey Communication Associates. In order to be in the running, I had to write a comment on their fan page on Facebook saying why I deserved the tickets. It took me 2 minutes, and I won.

I found out about the contest by a LinkedIn update I received from the LinkedIn Western Mass group. John Garvey posted a news article from Masslive about Oktoberfest. I clicked on it, and found out about the contest. I became a fan of his on Facebook and have been receiving updates in my feed ever since.

Did I mention that the only reason I won is because I was the only one who entered the contest? It’s not that important, just thought I’d mention it because that may make you think that the contest wasn’t a success. However, anytime you come up with a reason for people to pay attention to you, you are building something. The key to getting people to pay attention to you is giving them something they want. I really wanted to write a blog and thank Mr. Garvey for the tickets, but mostly wanted to get you thinking about how you could use contests to stand out when looking for your job.

When you think of a contest, you probably think of giving away something you already have, right? What about stretching your mind a bit and thinking about how you could run a contest that would get YOU press, give people a reason to pay attention to you, AND get you a job? Try this idea on for size:

You write a press release that says you are on the job search and want to help make your new employer shine from day one. In order to do so, you are going to give $5,000 to the charity of their choice on your first day. The way you’ll do this is by taking a $5,000 pay cut on your first day so they can give that money to people who could use the money more than you. Do you think that might make headlines? Do you think there are companies out there who might like to be associated with a contest like this? I think so! Not only for the tax write off, but for the publicity and the warm and fuzzies they get by being a part of it.You also will most likely end up with two press release opportunities: announcing the contest, and announcing the company that hired you/check presentation to the charity. Did I mention the attention you would draw by using social networking tools as well? Just sayin’.

Sometimes, it takes thinking creatively in order to create a buzz about you. If you think you don’t have anything to offer and there is nothing newsworthy about you, think again. There is ALWAYS an angle and a story. If you want help with creative brainstorming, let’s do lunch and see what we come up with.

One more thing: A $5,000 pay cut may seem like a lot, but you have just created a PR campaign for yourself that will stay with you forever. You can tell this story over and over again to demonstrate your ability to think creatively, give back to your community, and see the big picture. So,what are you willing to do to get what you want?

Gratitude

I was listening to the radio yesterday and heard a commercial about “living with gratitude”. I laughed, because I live with Gratitude every day. Gratitude is my cat’s name. When I got him from the TJ O’Connor Animal Shelter a year and a half ago, his name was Scooter. I don’t know about you, but I can’t take a cat named Scooter seriously. I wanted to name him something that would be a constant reminder of something I’m always striving for: living a life of gratitude.

Whenever I get stressed out, I have to remind myself of how lucky I am to have what I have in my life. Having a meowing reminder makes it easy for me to remember this key to my happiness.

Do you have a constant reminder in your life that keeps you grateful for what you have? Maybe a meaningful greeting card, or quote, or gift you received can serve as your reminder. Part of living a happy life is being happy and content with the decisions you have made regarding your personal life and career. Are you happy and grateful for the path you have created for yourself? Do you feel that what you are doing is contributing to something important? If you answered no to either of the above questions, maybe it makes sense to start working towards another path, a meaningful and rewarding path that will make you feel grateful you did.

This fall, I am focusing on helping my clients create goals for themselves for 2010. If gratitude is something you are in search of, it may need to start with being grateful for taking the first steps towards a more fulfilling life. Call anytime if you’d like to setup a goal setting session or meet Gratitude in person, he’s quite a trip.

On my morning walk today, I took an unusual amount of time observing nature. I have two or three routes I always walk around the neighborhood. After taking the same walk a few times, everything becomes part of the background and I stop paying attention to it.  Today, I finally started to re-notice all the beauty around me, took an extra 20 minutes to stand and enjoy it, snapped a few pictures (I usually bring my camera), and took a different route back.

Here’s why: I decided to take my friend Martha’s book with me on my walk because each page is such a fantastic lesson, it takes some time to contemplate how her lessons apply to my life. (I like to use my walks as a way to think through ideas and plan my day, so it’s not weird for me to bring a pen and paper or a book.)

Here is a page from her book that lead to this blog:

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Where do you get a belt that big?

No, not my waistline, thankfully. My business is expanding, and in a very good way! Here’s the truth: I broke one of the biggest rules in the business when I started – I didn’t create a business plan. To me, a business plan meant restrictions and guidelines; two words that don’t happen to be in my vocabulary.

In a way, I had a plan, the plan was to do what felt right and use my skills to help others. It was so simple, it worked! It continues to work every day, as I allow organic growth to happen and embrace the new opportunities I’m given because I rarely say no to something that could change my life.

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By Bill Peters

September 18, 2009

Women business owners offer free advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

The women of Women Business Owners Alliance of the Pioneer Valley are offering a series of free seminars for women who are considering self-employment. Six members of the WBOA will share stories about making the transition from weekly paychecks to self employment, the balancing act of family and career, and how to handle your business as a whole, which is more than just being good 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 public relations chair of the WBOA.
The free seminars will be held at the South Hadley Public Library on Bardwell Street from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday evenings. The schedule is as follows:

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.

The seminar features Ann Latham, consultant, speaker, author, and president of Uncommon Clarity, a business consulting firm in Western Mass; and 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.
The seminar features Suzanne Larocque, owner of Sleaque Images, a photography studio in East Longmeadow; and 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

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.

The seminar features Becky Castro, CPCC, PCC, a certified business coach and owner of I Love Monday Mornings; and 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