I love when synchronicity happens, don’t you? After sending out my recent newsletter, one of the folks who came ‘out of the wood-work’ to contact me was Molly Luffy. She is also a coach, and we had made a really nice connection about 6 years ago at a Coaching Conference. She had some very cool jewelry on, and being a gal who LOVES anything that sparkles….I just had to stop and check out the pretty blond with the bling! We had lots of similarities and kept in touch professionally for a few years, but as many good intentions go, we fell out of touch……

Fast forward to a month ago. When I sent my newsletter, Molly send a really lovely note acknowledging my work and pointing out that there may be some synergy between our businesses, so we made an appt to talk on the phone.

Wow. We chatted for 45 minutes and can see some cool possibilities for our businesses to support what each other specializes in. But that’s not what the article is about……..

It’s about the power of mindset. See, Molly is a brilliant coach and marketer. She was also a corporate ‘cog’ who followed her passion and started her own business, in search of freedom and possibility.

When she discovered that in addition to marketing, what I really specialize in the mindset piece, she shared the following story with me.

See, Molly has an MBA.

So like most business owners, she thought that she had what it took to make her business a success. After all, she did it in the corporate world, so why wouldn’t that same level of success translate? What Molly shared with me is that even though she knew all about business structures, systems, and how to make it run….the piece she didn’t bank on was HER. She bumped into her ‘stuff’ and like most of us on the entrepreneurial journey, got stuck, got overwhelmed, under-earned, and didn’t have the satisfaction that she dreamed of.

But unlike others, Molly knew she needed to make some changes, so instead of learning more skills to make her business grow, she learned the ‘what and why’ of her blocks and discovered ways to breakthrough. So when Molly heard that I move folks though this rapidly, she shared her own story. Truthfully, talking to Molly was really validating because I have the theory that without the proper mindset, you absolutely CANNOT reach the level of success or satisfaction that you desire. In fact, my question was, “But Molly, you have an MBA! Isn’t that enough to make your business successful?”

Her answer….NO! It’s not enough.

So my dear readers, if you are not fulfilled, don’t like where your business is, and just aren’t ‘feeling the love,’ have the courage to dive in. Go deep. Notice all the thoughts in your head. Are they positive and encouraging, or filled with doubt and fear? Are the actions you take in alignment with your vision/values/goal, or do you notice trends of getting sidetracked or out and out sabotaging?

Truthfully, it’s really easy to break free, but what I’ve noticed mostly is that you can’t do it yourself. It takes someone else to be objective and see what you can’t see. If you are interested in a “Mindset Mastery” session, I have a special discount on my website under the resources section. Check it out at www.acceleratingyoursuccess.com. In about 30 minutes you’ll get freedom you haven’t had before.

And if you want an example of a really cool gal who has done her work, check out Molly Luffy. She and her business partner have a program called Business Building Roundtable that is a free, monthly mastermind program. She’s good people and comes from a wonderful place of “givers gain” which I love.

And in the meantime……

Dream big!!!!!

Recently I took my boys to CA to get some beach time. My youngest son John could be a beach bum! He and I can stay on the ocean all day long and love it. The 13 year old, Daniel, gets bored after about an hour or so and wants to leave (probably because he has to get back to all his ‘peeps’ on MySpace!)

This time was different. The key? Daniel got a boogie board. Just one simple thing changed his whole experience. I finally dragged him out of the water as the sun was setting.

OK, Therese….what’s this got to do with being “Happy in Business” you may ask? Well my dear readers, as you get to know me more, you’ll find that I love metaphor and as a writer, look for stories in the story. So this post isn’t just about my cool teenager having a fun day on the beach. No siree. This is about finding the keys to getting juiced up about your business. Watching Daniel showed me the path to doing that and I want to share it with you.

So if you are not feeling the love and want to ‘go home early’ from the biz….here are the three keys to get you recharged again.

1. Decide to learn something new. How often do we as business owners just focus on the same old, same old. Look at where you are and check in to see what you could learn that would add spice to your days. Maybe it’s adding SEO or a new way of marketing. Perhaps it’s taking a course to enhance your skill set. Think about what would get back that loving feeling for you. Stretch yourself! That’s what life is about.

2. Create competition. Having two boys, I live daily with the “I can do it better than you” kind of energy. For some folks, the idea of competition isn’t a driver because of the belief that if we do what’s uniquely ours to do, there is no competition. BUT – the reality is that there is a market place and other individuals serving your clients. Since Daniel’s little brother is quite a good athlete, the desire to beat him kept Danny going.

How can you use competition? Maybe it’s checking out what a competitor does and seeing if you can add more to your offerings? For me, I’d use the angle of being in competition with myself. Am I doing better that I was, can I push myself more or go farther than I had anticipated. Play with this element and see if things can get moving a bit.

3. Be in the moment. This is the key to all of it. Daniel kept just being with the waves, the board, and what he was working on. It made for a great time, and gave him much more fulfillment than he normally has on the beach.

So if you were to be in the moment of your business, what would that look like? Maybe you could not let distractions like checking email 50 times a day, get in your way. Practicing being present to whatever you are doing will also allow you to enjoy your life and business much more.

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by Therese Skelly

Ah, the circle of life. I’m in it. Really working on ‘birthing’ many new elements of my business, and at the same time looking at the upcoming death of my beloved dog, Colby.

In my last newsletter, I mentioned that he had surgery and now he’s having complications which are causing him to slowly deteriorate. It’s been tiring and sad, and again…the stuff of life.

So what do you do if you are ready to go full steam ahead with your goals and then Life throws you a curve ball? Here are my ideas about how to get through with grace…

1. Accept the situation. If you are like me, you can power through anything. We entrepreneurs sometimes thrive on a bit of change and adversity, but running a million miles an hour to get all your tasks done will only cause you more problems later on. The first thing you must do is to accept the emotional, physical, mental or spiritual challenge before you. It took a month of sleepless nights and finally hitting the wall of overwhelm for me to finally realize just how hard handling all of Colby’s health challenges has been.

2. Give yourself the space you need. Is it a good cry? Time to get mad? A night at home with a glass of wine just chilling with a friend? When life gives you a challenging situation, you need even more time to recharge. Tune into your intuition and notice what you desire. What would ‘fill you up’ so you can keep moving through this? This is the time for some self care.

3. Be realistic about your availability. One of my clients lost her dad last year. She spent many hours taking him to doctors’ appointments and was very loving in the way she devoted herself to him in his last months. But her business didn’t take off the way that she had hoped it would. There were many times she would beat herself up for being behind in her marketing tasks, or the calls she was supposed to make. I kept reminding her that taking care of her dad WAS her business right now. So we worked out what she could realistically expect of herself with all the things she was dealing with. The key here is gentleness…

4. Don’t compare yourself to others. Very often if you have a value of putting family first, you can have a successful business, but it will take you longer. So many of my mom-preneur clients compare themselves to the single guy who has no ties and can work 60 hour weeks. Sorry, but if you are going to have a values-driven business, comparison here will only make you fall short. If you are tempted, compare yourself with how in alignment you are being with your own values, and not someone else’s idea of how many hours you should work.

5. Clear your plate. If you are dealing with something ‘big’ then right now is not the time to be doing anything other than what you have to. Really find the places to delegate, say no, or postpone commitments you have made. When I had my ‘melt down’ I realized that trying to be in a 5 day intensive coaching program was just adding to my stress, so I let it go. Did I feel any guilt for quitting? Not really because I felt myself relax and find more peace in that moment. That’s how you know you have made the right d ecision.

6. Get support. A biggie in my book! Who is in your life that you can turn to? Who can help you remember your strengths, show you what is working, and navigate ways through the overwhelm? That’s one of the biggest gifts my clients take away is the knowing that they aren’t alone as I shine a light for them during these times. Another thing to consider is to make sure you are extra aware of sleeping, prayer, exercise, eating well, and finding joy where you can.

7. Stay in the moment. This will end. Everything does. It’s only when we forget that and lose our perspective that we suffer. You can handle anything in the moment. Continue to bring yourself back to right now, and not some time in the future. And if you want to strengthen this concept, read Byron Katie’s book, Loving What Is. One of my favorites.

So just know that you aren’t alone…we all go through times in life when we can rock and roll, and other times when we are stalled. Take the long view. Don’t go it alone, and hold on to your vision. You’ll make it through.

© 2008 Therese Skelly

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? Please do! Feel free to reprint this article on your website, own newsletter or message boards as long as you include the following resource information:

©2008 Therese Skelly. Discover a simple, yet surprising secret to getting unstuck in your small business by visiting www.AcceleratingYourSuccess.com and requesting a free copy of the audio, Master Your Mindset to Be the Master of Your Business.

“Don’t Have a Dog You Can’t Pick Up…Or A Business Too Big to Manage”
by Therese Skelly

After his recent near death experience and a VERY expensive surgery, I had to take my eleven year old dog Colby back to the vet to get his sutures out. He had eaten a stuffed Easter egg (which didn’t pass through!) so ended up having to have it removed which left an 8 inch incision in his stomach.

On Saturday morning as I was ready to get him in my van, I discovered that no matter what I did, he wasn’t going in. I’d lift, push, cajole, and basically tried everything I could do, but my 80 pound elderly, weak-in-the-hips pooch would just slide under the vehicle. It occurred to me that one of us was gonna get hurt, so I did what every smart business owner would do….I called in reinforcements! OK, the ‘muscle’ in this case was my ex who lives about a mile away. (Yeah, we have that cool kind of relationship….) One quick phone call and in a few minutes the ex popped over and said canine was comfortably in the seat on the way to the v et.

Support = success!

Now why in the world would I share this story about my geriatric dog and my need to call for help? Because it’s the perfect entrepreneur’s dilemma!

I had a ‘project’ I needed to do but didn’t have the resources to make it happen on my own. The theme for this article is to encourage you to see who can do the ‘heavy lifting’ and help you out in areas where you need some more support.

Below is my four-step process for embracing this really important principle in your business.

Step #1: Open your eyes! Take a look around at your business and where you either loose energy (bookkeeping maybe?) or where you are chronically overwhelmed, or when you know that if you just had a few key pieces in place….you’d really be able to take off. Sometimes it will be letting someone do the tasks for you, or maybe it’s the need you have to learn a new skill. For me it was social media. I knew that I wanted to jump on the latest relationship/networking building trend, but didn’t have a clue where to start. What would it be for you? Make a list…………

Step #2: Visualize! The next step is to allow yourself to imagine what would be possible if you had this piece in place. This is where the fun is. If you could design it EXACTLY how you wanted, how would it look/feel/be? My best learning style is having someone talk me through the process, because I am an auditory learner. So the perfect solution to my social media desire was to have someone go through step-by-step all the bells and whistles. I had even signed up for a couple of teleseminars with the ‘experts’ but didn’t use them as the PERFECT design in my mind was a one on one relationship with someone who would just tailor my learning. Your turn…dream big! What would you love to see in terms of support.

Step #3: Strategize! Now where do you find this person? There are two ways of doing it. The first is the ‘inner game’ way of just harnessing energy. Part of the ‘magic’ is if you just set the intention, the Universe conspires to support you. (Anyone ever watched The Secret?)

The next way is to do some research about who is out there that could ‘fill the bill’ for you in this area.

The magic for me came when I attended my coach Kendall Summerhawk’s Brand Authenticity Money and Meaning workshop in May. There I found my perfect solution! I had already known and was friends with Mary Pat Kavanaugh, but after spending three days with her, we really connected and decided that we could support each other. Guess what she specializes in? You got it….social media! She’s like the FaceBook Queen!

Now it’s your turn…after putting out the intention, create a list of where you could find the support you need and a list of who you could go to for help finding it. Don’t forget the power of your network. Ask others who they know.

Step #4: Realize! Now that you have found that perfect person, how is it going to work? What has to happen for you to put them on your team? Maybe you just need an advisory board or possibly a peer run mastermind. In either case, explore what’s the win-win for all parties involved. In my case, Mary Pat is mentoring me in FaceBook, and I help her by coaching her on her business growth and strategies that she can easily implement. < /o:p>

If you need to pay for some new team members, do a calculation about how much business you’ll need to bring in to cover the new cash outlay. Truthfully, many entrepreneurs get themselves stuck in the trap of “I can’t afford to pay anyone to help, but I’m so busy doing so much administrative stuff, that I can’t earn more money either.” If you find yourself in that conundrum, ask yourself the following questions -

1. What’s the minimum investment I’d need to make to move forward? (Example, if you can only spend $500/month…what could that money buy you?)

2. How long would it take for me (with the new people in place) to begin to see a return on my investment?

3. What is it costing me to NOT have these additional resources? This could be in time, money, or just stress! Be honest here.

I’d encourage you to follow the four-step process and email me to share who your ideal support people are and how you are going about getting them because you deserve it!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? Please do! Feel free to reprint this article on your website, own newsletter or message boards as long as you include the following resource information:

©2008 Therese Skelly. Discover a simple, yet surprising secret to getting unstuck in your small business by visiting www.AcceleratingYourSuccess.com and requesting a free copy of the audio, Master Your Mindset to Be the Master of Your Business.

Have you ever wondered how someone really young can be such an “old soul” and have so much wisdom?

I got the chance to see Brendon Burchard again at the Women’s Business Empowerment Summit last weekend. Brendon is about the best speaker I’ve ever heard….and trust me, I’ve heard TONS! Not only is he entertaining and has a great platform of helping people grow by partnering with corporate sponsorships, but he is very soulful in what he’s here to do and the message that he shared.

Brendon is 30. Maybe. He’s written a book called Life’s Golden Ticket which is a fictional account of a man who got a second chance to live. It’s probably based on Brendon’s story which goes something like this….

When he was 19 years old, recovering from a heartbreaking romance, he went to Jamaica to live/work. He was finally coming out of his grief when he and a friend were in a horrific car accident. He spoke of how the whole “Life flashing before your eyes” concept is real, and as their car was careening off a cliff, he had moments of seeing how much love he had experienced.

After they crashed and before he lost consciousness, he got what I call the “Divine Download” and was given these three questions which has become the driver for how he lives his life.

1. Have I lived?

2. Have I loved?

3. Did I matter?

These nine words are very self explanatory, and I invite you to answer them as you begin the self inquiry process.

Have you lived in the way that was in alignment with your values? Are you guarding your heart or have you been able to love freely? And the big question…is what you are doing your soul’s purpose? Did you matter to those around you and to those whom you are here to serve?

My coaching challenge is for you to reflect on these powerful questions and like Brendon, begin to orient your life around them. If you stay in the question, you’ll make the right choices.

And if you want to learn more about Brendon, visit www.lifesgoldenticket.com.

I was going through some old articles that I wrote for the newsletter I was sending out years ago when I was doing more Life Coaching. The article below is kind of funny, but to the point about the cost of putting up with things that don’t serve us. Hope you enjoy and can find some things you can work on.

Why gravy????

I have really bad “carpet-karma.” There is a little girl named Kylie who will be able to go to Yale if she wants to because her carpet-cleaning dad is making so much $$ off of my carpet messes. We should really just put him on retainer. It used to be the two little boys who trashed the very light colored carpet. Now it’s the crazy dog. He’s five year old lab-dane mix, and neurotic as hell. He’s also not the “brightest bulb in the box” if you will, but he’s wonderful with the kids and really a great dog. It only took Colby about two years of living with us to learn that he could just stick his long snout into the garbage and get his fill of goodies.

This article isn’t really about my goofy dog or stained carpet, it’s about a coaching concept known as “tolerations.” This defines all the things in your home, Business, life, relationships and other areas that you tolerate. These little suckers drain your energy and keep you stuck.

After two years the goofball dog found the garbage. We kept it in one of the under the counter cabinets that had a baby lock on it from the previous owners of the home. You know, one of those little latch numbers. Since it was at least a decade old, it no longer latched. The garbage can lid had broken and had somehow gone missing, so dear sweet Colby found the way to quite an assortment of non-kibble goodies. Here’s where I demonstrate living with a huge pain-in-the-ass toleration.

For some reason Colby decided that he needed to eat his newly caught garbage in the dining room. (Guess he was attempting to be more civilized!) So he would drag all the food from the kitchen to the CARPETED dining room. And, wouldn’t you know…there was always gravy or ketchup involved! It was a vicious cycle. I’d get the carpet cleaned, and he’d smear gravy on it. There were even times that the carpet was still wet from getting cleaned earlier in the day, and Mr. “big-hunter” dog would find the remains of the plate of fries and ketchup the kids had had. Of course he chose to enjoy this in his dining room! I’d get nuts, and he’d keep breaking into the garbage until one magical day…I got rid of the toleration and got a new garbage can with a lid!!! WooHoo. It only took me months and months…and I called the dog “not the brightest bulb.” But that’s what tolerations do…you get so used to living with the annoyances and inconveniences, that you forget that there is light at the end of the freshly cleaned carpet!!!

It’s such a silly story, but we all have loads of this stuff we deal with. You could spend hours and hours going from room to room in your home and find all the little things that bug you, but lets look at your business. Where are you leaking energy? Here are a few things my clients have struggled with:

Clutter
Clients who are behind in paying
Technology that isn’t working properly
Assistants or employees not doing a good enough job
Working with Clients that aren’t a good fit

Well, this stuff drains your energy.

So often we overlook these little things but once you take care of them, you will notice an immediate difference. It’s like trying to listen to beautiful music and trying NOT to listen to the background noise of the TV in your kids’ room. You can’t fully enjoy where you are at because your “psychic energy” is tied up with tolerating the interference. Tolerations take up “room” in your head. As you walk through your house, notice how your attention is drawn to the stuff that is undone, broken, old, or just plain ugly! As you think about your business, pay attention to the nagging voices in your head of all the things that cause you stress. I want you to be “friction free” in that you can be in your home, business, relationships, and life without this stuff tugging at you.

Usually this concept both excites people and overwhelms them all at once. I ask my clients to do through each room of their house, their cars, their closets, and review relationships. The next task is to come up with lists of things to be corrected. Some are tiny and easy to do, while others will either take much work, much more time, or a bit more $$. After you have taken on your home, you start on your business tolerations.

So, where are you going to start? I bet as you read this article you can think of at least 10 things right off the bat. Here’s your assignment. Make the list, and commit to doing at least five things this week. Keep plugging away until you can feel the difference. You can also prioritize what you’ll do based on finishing a space or the ease or cost of the work that needs to be done. You can do it!!! And, you’ll be amazing at how much more energy you have and how much more productive you’ll feel!

Are you my people? You know the kind – freedom seekers. Going through the world valuing our independence and pursing a quest for more quality lifestyle or self expression.

I’ve really drilled down with what all of this means to me, and I’ve come up with this:

“I am 100% committed to helping entrepreneurs transform the way they do business so they have more peace and prosperity.”

That pretty much sums of what drives me. Why? Here’s how I look at it….

If I can help 100,000 people become successful (over $100K) business owners, what is the ripple effect of that? First, they themselves will be more fulfilled. If they have children, they will be able to take the time to be involved more with their kids or to travel when they want to.

And in the process of becoming a successful business owner, one’s identity is changed. Being successful means you have to step into more of a leadership role. Confidence is developed, vision is pulled forth, and just the managing of one’s inner game with all the challenges takes a special skill that entrepreneurs must master.

What about the economy? It’s my theory that as an employee, if I earn $100K it doesn’t go as far as if a business owner brings in that same amount. Why, because to bring in that much $$ means that the biz owner definitely needs help! There may be employees or virtual assistants, but the revenue is divided up and it trickles down more.

So if you are an entrepreneur….just know how magnificent you are. Know that you are unique in that you have the courage to pursue your dream and often risk ’security’ for the quest for freedom. But oh, aren’t the rewards sweet?