by Ann Evanston | Sep 23, 2015 | Business Strategy
Achieving business success! It is SO exciting when you start reaching levels you dream of, see that you can earn, have clients that love what you do for them! And then, there is often STUCK. Yes! Stuck after success. I’d call them plateaus.
I remember my first BIG plateau. It happened when I finally started earning over $100,000 a year. I was stuck. I could not, for the life of me earn more than that.
I had two clients hit this plateau of stuck. One has lifted the veil. She has an amazing brand, a topic she’s developed beautifully, a talk that drives the audience to want to work with her, and she’s doing the “old job” instead of this one. Another has had the “owning value, charge what I am worth” breakthrough. She has revamped everything to align with her new mindset. Even planned her calendar out a year in advance to achieve that money….and now she’s “waiting.”
Achieving business success and these kinds of plateaus are interesting! Intellectually you know you want more. You know you deserve it. You are ready for the crazy good that comes with next level success.
Yet, you are stuck.
I think these kinds of plateau’s stuck comes from one of two places. The first isn’t that different from last week’s post on achieving business success. It comes from changing how we think. Or better yet, more like what I talk about in my book, The Influence Factor. The story we tell ourselves that has become a truth.
This is what it was for me. I realized I had a story that stopped my earning. When I first got out of college, $100,000 seemed like a TON of money. I could recall telling myself: “if I ever earn $100,000 a year, I am SOOOO, good! Then I can live the life I want!” This story, became my “truth”. When I started earning $100,000 a year in my business, the mind body connection stepped in. It said: “You did it Ann! Check that one off the list! You are good. You can live the life you want.”
The problem was I wanted to serve MORE people. I knew now that I had a mission. I knew now that I deserved to be compensated for it. To do so I had to rewrite that story.
Do you have a story that has caused your stuck plateau? If so you need to rewrite it. Now I say that earning 6 figures is a privilege based on those I serve. That my potential to earn is limitless!
There is a second reason we get “stuck plateaus.” It relates to something I frequently see: more people are afraid of success than they are of failure. And it’s a pattern in achieving “successes” (success is progressive, true?)
Marilyn Ferguson, a futurist in her time, said: “It’s not so much that we are afraid of change or so in love with our old ways, but it’s the place between that we fear. It’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to.”
When you finally know with everything in your being that you can charge more, you enter this space. When you are at the edge of being KNOWN in a badly needed field as THE ONE to go to, you are on that space. Just like the trapeze. Or Linus without his blanket.
I believe this is why one client went back to doing what she knows how to do so well. Because becoming this amazing keynote speaker getting paid big bucks….her blanket is gone. That’s why the other client hasn’t told the world “my program is worth this much.” She is between the trapezes.
When you plateau in your success and feel stuck, could it be one of these 2 reasons for you? Do you need to pick up my books and uncover stories that have become your truth? Or do you need to deal with this unknown space? The place where we are blind. Where we have to have faith instead of stay where we are sure. Confident.
I love working with my clients on overcoming what gets them stuck. One client, Sherry Prindle said: “There are many coaches who say we will work on mindsets, and never really do. Ann’s program does this work and more.”
Curious to learn more?
by Ann Evanston | Sep 16, 2015 | Business Strategy
I have found that achieving business success, for most people (not all, there are some that are just lucky, or talented, or both, LOL) isn’t easy. Most of us don’t have “overnight success”. Sometimes understanding where we “get stuck” is the key.
While traveling and speaking, I like to hang out in the bar in the evening. Ok, some of you are not surprised, LOL! I like talking with people. There is this weird “safety” if you will. I think it is because most of us know we will never see the person again. Once in San Diego, I was at the Marriott Marquis. It is right next to the convention center, so the bar is always busy. I met a man who had his own business (defense contracts). We had a great time talking wine and business. Later, as I was really trying to get away and go relax (I had a class to teach the next morning), three women joined us. The gentleman said “Hi”, and suddenly we are in full conversation. It turns out they are from Chicago and one woman just started her photography business.
As the conversation continued, she looked him straight in the eye (pretty much leaned across me) and asked: “You own your own business. When does it get easier? What was the first year like? How do you get successful?” He proceeded to say that it has always been easy. His relationships allowed him to get contracts in the first year, and he has never regretted starting on his own.
I HAD to jump in! I shared my story. Eighteen years in business, successful team, primary bread winner in my family. And then I said: “The first year was AWFUL. I could barely afford the peanut butter, let alone the bread for a sandwich! Getting success was HARD that first year!”
She sighed, she knew I related to what she was experiencing. She shared her struggle a bit more. We talked about many things, but you know me. The depth of what you can achieve successfully has less to do with a brand, or a website, or even being GREAT at what you do. It has more to do with YOU, and how you THINK that determines your ability to be successful as a small business owner.
I shared with her that she has to train her mind to change her life and business. That so much of how we are taught to think fits the mold that requires you “go get a job and work for someone else.” That we are not trained to be on our own, and it requires a different mindset.
Do you need to train your mind to think differently? See, I find that many people decide to be entrepreneurs because they know they don’t “quite fit” in the business world. They are not so good at taking orders. They like to be their own person. Sounds like you shouldn’t be stuff right?
But have you made sure you have trained your mind to truly align with what you want now? Are you so comfortable with what you know now that you don’t even realize the patterns you fall into that aren’t helping your success?
Because success in business requires you can handle stuck. It will happen. You will have to push yourself again and again. Even I, right now, am having to push past stuck. I am comfortable with the marketing I do now. Guess what? To have greater success I have to move into something, new, unknown (for me). I know what IT is I need to do. I get it intellectually. It’s the process of training my mind, of getting through that place where I have no security blanket that is difficult.
Do you relate? I will change it though. Will you change it?
by Ann Evanston | Sep 9, 2015 | Business Strategy
Last week I shared the importance of involvement to get commitment. Let’s look at being an entrepreneur and wanting success in our business. The same holds true. Without involvement, there is absolutely NO commitment. The means you have to be willing to look at SELF first.
Where is it you need to be MORE involved to have a sense of greater personal commitment to your success?
Here is a checklist of places you could think about. As you read them, answer “YES” out loud when you know you need to be more personally committed:
1. Doing regular marketing on your website.
2. Marketing in person, and online regularly.
3. Participating in webinars, radio and opportunities to be interviewed.
4. Developing your give-a-way and developing a strategy for people to get it.
5. Planning your annual sales calendar.
6. Writing copy.
7. Developing your “top of mind” automation so it saves you time.
8. Engaging potential customers to your brand.
9. Developing materials that increase perceived value of our product or program.
10. Making sure the customers you have are WOWed from the moment they buy.
OK, I could go on. You personally can add to this list. More importantly: How many did you say: “YES, I need to be more personally committed to that action?”
In the post last week, I said it’s hard to live a healthy lifestyle without being involved in eating healthy. And if you eat healthy, you are committed. The same holds true in your business. You have to be involved in the things that make it successful for you. If you are only involved sometimes or “when you feel like it” it just doesn’t work.
Here is another question to think about: Do you want greater commitment from those you WANT to buy from you? (I am talking prospects here, not current customers, although the same does apply to current customers.)
I would hope the answer is a resounding: “YES ANN! Of course I do!”
Well, guess what? Unless you are more involved, they cannot feel the desire to commit. Many of the things I mentioned above are places we need to be involved to get their commitment.
Are you involved in what it takes to grow it? To keep new people seeing it? Sharing it? Buying it?
by Ann Evanston | Sep 2, 2015 | Business Strategy
I have been thinking about the power of commitment. We want it everywhere…so it seems. We want a committed relationship. We want commitment from our clients. We most likely want commitment from ourselves? (Ok, maybe I am jumping to a conclusion, LOL!)
Have you ever thought what it takes to get commitment, though? That’s what I have been thinking about. Reality is this: you CANNOT have commitment without involvement. Think about that.
Do you:
- Want a better relationship? You cannot have an amazing relationship unless you first are committed to acting the best in a relationship. Giving it time, nurturing it.
- Aspire to live a healthier lifestyle? Are you involved in eating healthy, movement, stress management?
- Desire a loving partner? Then you must be involved in being loving, actively loving every single day.
- Dream of traveling the world? You have to be involved in planning, saving, researching and going!
If you are not involved you will not get the commitment you are looking for. The outcome just cannot happen.
I often say: “anything worth having is worth working on.” That is the same as saying commitment requires involvement.
I remember in a class sharing this and adding the example of a great relationship. At break a woman approached me and said: “Ann, I work hard all day long, I don’t want to have to work on a relationship. I am just too exhausted. It should be easy.”
“So how’s that working for you?” I responded.
“I don’t have one right now, I am alone, but I want a relationship!”
Hmmmm……
Involvement.
At the beginning of this post I mentioned “committed customers.” All I have spoken of is personal stuff so far! Without me going further can you see the connection to having people who COMMIT to pay you? Where your involvement might need to be to get that? I promise I will share with you next week!
by Ann Evanston | Aug 26, 2015 | Business Strategy, Mental Mind Shifts
Last week, I shared a simple awareness that most people have a fear of success. I even recalled the journey about myself, which I had to change to have the success I really wanted. See, we get what we DESERVE, NOT what we want.
[Tweet “We get what we DESERVE, NOT what we want.”]
And what we deserve is really how we believe, deep inside our hearts. As a small business owner, I see many of my clients do these things to self-sabotage success. Do you recognize yourself in any of them? As you read this checklist, take a moment to really LISTEN with your heart, and answer with a yes, if you do these things.
1. You know you need to do some blogging…but you just don’t feel like writing today.
2. You decide it’s time to charge more for what you do, but when asked “how much” you seem to say less than you agreed with yourself to charge.
3. You try to be everything to everybody, because you don’t want to exclude anyone.
4. You constantly ask other people what they think…of your logo, your product, your copy, your price, your title…and are overwhelmed by their opinions.
5. You share what you think online, and someone disagrees, and you silently overthink what you said and why it might be the wrong thing.
6. You are inconsistent: in showing up, in follow through, in marketing, in networking, with leads and customers.
7. You have a MILLION great ideas, but struggle with implementing and monetizing them.
8. You take an AMAZING class and are motived to do different…yet one week later you are back to your “old self”.
9. You have trouble owning your expertise, so you are continuously taking classes to learn more.
10. You finally decide and put out to the world “this is what the hell I sell” and everything you see online is EXACTLY that…you step into self-doubt.
11. You have some success, people start buying and you find yourself worrying, wondering, even having unsettled energy, although you’re not sure why.
12. You are EXCELLENT at implementing what your coach tells you, but you are so busy doing, you can’t BE for those that need you, even personally.
13. You have deep exciting highs and then weird lows in your business.
14. You know you need to implement systems within technology that will make your business run, yet every time you try…it’s just too overwhelming.
15. You are challenged by stepping fully into your heart, to write, speak, and most importantly decide.
Yes, I guess I could go on and on. This, though, is why “Vision of Self” is the first of the 5 Elements of a Bad-Assery Business™. I look at my clients and many have at least three of those above, most many more. I love that we change this so HOW happens, and money flows! And if you have at least three, there is a tiny part of you, deep, deep inside, that somewhere silently questions:
“Do you deserve that? No, do you? Really? What makes you think you do?”
You have to start by answering that tiny, tiny voice. That whisper. Heck, you need to have a conversation with it! Out loud!
by Ann Evanston | Aug 12, 2015 | Business Strategy, Mental Mind Shifts
Desire is so incredibly important to have success. I find that many entrepreneurs think they have it. But do you? Really? In a previous blog on Obtaining Strong Desire I shared important insight into what desire really is. I also promised I would share with you the five things, mindsets, which I believe it takes to truly have it. As you read these rate yourself: how strong is your mindset?
- You must know your purpose. Your WHY. WHY is more than “pay my bills” or “feed my family.” WHY is about your calling, what put you on this earth. Most entrepreneurs I work with have this part. They know their true calling, their purpose for being here. YAY! We got this part. What else does it take to have strong desire?
- There can only be Plan A. Your purpose, your organized knowledge must be your primary focus EVERY Now, I get it, some of you are completely afraid to quit Plan B and just go for it. If that’s true though, Plan A is where your energy and effort is every day. Your desire to make it successful overrides “tired”, “not enough time”, and other responsibilities. Having strong desire means you will (not must) spend a minimum of 30 minutes a day, every day on Plan A.
- You have to believe with everything in you that you deserve success. Yes, I have talked about the fear of success before. If somewhere in you, you don’t think you deserve it, your desire isn’t strong enough. And I am planning MORE on this….coming soon, so stay tuned!
- You know that there are parts of creating business success that you have to shift your thinking about (negative autosuggestion) because they are necessary for your business to thrive. For example, marketing, budgeting, speaking, sales…not necessarily your purpose huh? But necessary if you want that purpose to make money! I recently heard a woman call that stuff “mundane” (negative autosuggestion.) I have heard others say they hate it, or it’s a necessary evil. Those negative autosuggestions will DRAIN DESIRE. Shift your language around them.
For example, I have such strong desire to achieve success that I see all of those things as a blessing, an opportunity, and the catalyst to being what I am meant to be in the world. It is so much easier to do those things when you shift your thinking.
- Fifth, and probably most important. My epiphany from Women, Wine and Wisdom that I mentioned in my previous blog. You have to be willing to NEVER SETTLE. Strong desire requires this. When you settle, the energy of “it’s good enough” destroys desire.
Now this is important: never settle isn’t about self-worth. It isn’t beating up on yourself. Never settle isn’t about perfectionism. Perfectionists fail to LEAP. People with a never settle mind set leap all the time. They do one simple concept I am known for:
Be at 10 then raise the bar and be a 10 again.
The concept of never settle means you are continuously looking at what you so passionately do and wanting it to be better. You are always asking yourself, what went well with….my marketing, presentation, blog post, webinar? What can be better next time?
These are the 5 things it takes to have strong desire. And you know what? It will be true for all areas of your life. This mindset applies to relationship success too. If you want a powerful, loving, amazing relationship you can never think “it’s good enough”. The desire to make it better (never good enough) will keep you from settling, will make sure you contribute, will encourage you to get what you need.
Build desire to grow rich. That’s what Napoleon Hill says. These 5 things are truly what separates me from others who struggle. Where did you rate yourself?
