by Ann Evanston | Jul 24, 2013 | Mental Mind Shifts
How did it to get to be Wednesday already! And I haven’t gotten a blog post in….well…., okay well here it is now! It’s funny how sometimes I get so involved with the writing, and creativity, and expansiveness of my Elite Clients and their marketing that I forget my own.
So here is a simple little bit of food for your Warrior soul. Remember that your business success starts with you taking care of you first. “But Ann, I need to make some money, I don’t have time for that!”
Value starts with you. Value and making money starts with you. Value and making money starts with you and nurturing you. I often self nurture. I realize that my TIME is VALUE. And when I value my time, and place it correctly, I make more money.
For example, my relationship needs to be nurtured, and when I do I am better in my work. Being loved, loving, laughing, talking makes me a better warrior.
Did you get that? I wrote a blog for Showcasing Women that posted this week and it expands on this very important piece. Go take a read. Leave a comment. Let me know your thoughts.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
by Ann Evanston | Jul 18, 2013 | Mental Mind Shifts
I have written about being busy and busy work before. I love working with my million dollar clients, because they get it. (I know, some of you have a HUGE DESIRE to be a million dollar business owner….you have to work through this.) My clients who are not yet, do and they get it they make more money. But it is a struggle for many people who are not making the money they want.
Let me say it again: busy work and being busy are two different things.
In a session with a million dollar client and this very subject came up. She said that so often when people ask her what she’s done to have her million dollar business and she starts to talk, the person interrupts with: “but I’m so busy but I’m so busy.”
Her response? “No, you’re not busy. Real busy is making money.”
Ouch! For some of you that is a statement that stings!
And you know what? I completely agree with her. See, too often new Warrior-Preneurs start a business there still thinking like soldiers. They haven’t made the mental mind shift of choosing their fate, determining what needs to be done to make the money. So they just get busy.
The problem for most? Is not knowing what makes money. And guess what? It’s not just making your product over and over again that makes you money. It’s not hanging out on Facebook. That is just busy work, not being busy. It’s marketing in a creative and unique way.
This business owner in her session said to me; “Ann, I could sell anything I want and be successful. Because I know how to create a brand experience that people want to buy. It could be dog poop I’m selling and I could make it a million dollar business.”
Some of you DON’T believe that. (And some are offended…and still not making money.)
You are stuck…thinking it’s the perfect product or service that sells.
No, it’s the brand experience that sells.
Oh! And don’t you find it interesting that a business owner that ALREADY GETS IT and DOES IT has a coach that helps her achieve it?
Next week I will tell you what a financially struggling client says to this…curious? Or do you already know?
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
by Ann Evanston | Jul 11, 2013 | Mental Mind Shifts
Setting boundaries is one of the hardest things in business success. For me it all relates to knowing your Self-Worth. At some point we have to draw some lines in the sand and own our values, target market and brand message. In an article I write for Showcasing Women, I explain some of this further if you’d like to take a peek. See, self- worth is partially based on knowing what you value and making decisions EVERY day based on those values. CONSCIOUS choices…every day.
- For example, when you are asked to guest blog on someone else’s site…what is your answer?
- Or be interviewed for a radio show?
- What about speak in front of a group?
- Or be on a panel?
If you have self-worth your answer is never just “yes” or “no” (thank-you). Your answer is a question, or a series of questions. Setting boundaries for your business is tough if you just say yes or no without asking some smart questions first!
Recently I was asked to participate on a panel for women in leadership. Initially it sounded very interesting, and we can be quick to say YES! I paused, consciously thought, and I asked some smart questions regarding my values, time, business and target market. The answer was no.
I have been asked many times to “guest blog” sometimes the answer is yes, more often I am setting boundaries and say no. Heck, writing for my OWN blog honestly makes more sense from a traffic standpoint. You did see the statistics for this right? On Social Media today, from the Hubspot ROI Inbound marketing annual report?
So if my business is to be successful doesn’t it make sense for me to blog on my site versus someone else’s? Unless the site I guest blog on REALLY creates a win for my business goals and values?
So I mentioned I guest blog for Showcasing Women above…did you catch that? Do you know how knowing my values and setting boundaries allowed me to say YES?
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
by Ann Evanston | Jul 3, 2013 | Mental Mind Shifts
Too often I meet people who forget to truly live their lives. I realized this morning that I have absolutely no clue what’s going on in sports. Who’s winning, who’s the world champion, what series is playing. I even made a comment to my husband and said I have no clue what’s going on in sports these days. He replied: “me either.”
He also said when he hangs out with his male friends they always tease him if he doesn’t keep up with every little thing going on in sports and watching all the games. His response to them is pretty simple: “he says I’d rather make my life happen , then watch other people live their lives.”
Hmmm… That is an interesting viewpoint. We actively participate in living our lives. We are not sitting around daydreaming and watching others live their lives. Now I’m not saying if you enjoy sports don’t watch sports, what I am asking is: “Are you living your life? Are you making what you want to have happen in your life happen? Are you fully experiencing everything you desire and dream of in your life?”
This is powerful coming from my husband because he had the potential to play professional ball. He was an All-American in college. He could choose to sit and watch and day dream, and desire, and talk about what would’ve happened if he did. He could live each day through “their lives.” Or he can make his life happen, NOW.
I think entrepreneurs aren’t that different. Spending time day dreaming, watching the lives of others making it happen. Wisihng and hoping.
Are you sitting around watching others live their lives, hoping, dreaming , wishing that yours was different? And are you thinking that somehow that will make it better? It’s time to start living.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
by Ann Evanston | Jun 27, 2013 | Mental Mind Shifts
Becoming your Bad-Assery self is hard work! Being The Elite in your business and industry is really hard work! I think I gave all my energy to my clients this week. All my creative energy, all my emotional energy, all my cheerleader energy, all my teacher energy. Like…ALLLLLL. Going through the process of stepping into your unique influential voice is HARD. And creating the marketing strategy and brand called YOU…whoa…harder.
So the work creates emotions…which is good.
Tears. (Yes, sometimes my clients cry.) Because they are finally seeing their greatness.
Laughter. (Yes of course we laugh in sessions.) Because growing is sometimes laughable.
Frustration. (At me? NO never…lolol) Because the work isn’t easy.
Joy. (Joy is bigger than happy, it swells inside.) Because it is finally clicking.
Fear. (Yeah…I know most feel this one.) Because success isn’t something they want to fear anymore.
Tears. (What again with the tears dangit!) Because dangit…they realize how Bad-AsseryTHEY are.
I hear you…thinking….”So what Ann I need to work with YOU to get Bad-Assery? To be The Elite in my industry?” Many of you? No. You’re not ready for what I can give you. (Of course if you think you are, let’s chat and see.) But most of you NEED to be willing to do two things if you want Bad-Assery:
1-Do the WORK. The hard shit, the stuff that you avoid.
2-Feel everything. For Bad-Assery to occur you have to be willing to emotionally connect with the process.
Bad-Assery comes from the willingness to be imperfect and vulnerable. Elite comes from stepping within…not looking outside for the answer.
Want to get started on your own? Then write. EVERYDAY. If you have no clue why, stay tuned.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
by Ann Evanston | Jun 26, 2013 | Mental Mind Shifts
What holds you back from your unlimited space and potential? At my monthly Warrior Women Wine and Wisdom event I asked this question as it’s been on my mind a TON lately. So much so I even wrote my guest blog at Showcasing Women about it, and here I am writing about it again! (Yes, the article over there is completely different and I will be expanding there over the next three months about the points I share….so it might be worth checking out if curious!)
After an amazing blind wine tasting and food, I asked the women: “What holds you back from YOUR unlimited space and potential?”
We spent hours digging deep. Getting real. Sharing the story.
Yeah…the story. The story we tell OURSELVES.
In my book, The Influence Factor, I talk about how important rewriting the story, even the LIES we tell ourselves, is to stepping into our most influential voice. At this event I heard, over and over, the stories…the lies…we can tell ourselves that we allow to LIMIT what we are capable of.
It is AMAZING how we can tell ourselves that people needs us so much, that we stay stuck. (WAIT…wouldn’t we be of greater service to them if we stepped into our unlimited potential?)
Or that they might leave us if we do. (WAIT…if they are truly a part of your support network, wouldn’t they cheer you on and support unconditionally?)
Or that they will hate us or leave us if we….(WAIT…oh geez, you get the point right?)
Maybe you don’t. Maybe you are saying right now…”YEAHBUTANNNNNNNNNNN!!!”
Stop…change that story. NOW.
Your unlimited space and potential is only limited by YOU.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
How did it to get to be Wednesday already! And I haven’t gotten a blog post in….well…., okay well here it is now! It’s funny how sometimes I get so involved with the writing, and creativity, and expansiveness of my Elite Clients and their marketing that I forget my own.
