What does authenticity mean?

I'm sure a lot of you have heard the quote, or saying that you need to be authentic when it comes to your brand. And people are like, what does that even mean? I think we all know the word authentic means being real, being the true you.

When it comes to branding, or being online, I think that maybe we're not completely clear about what that means. So, let’s talk about it.

Being authentic means coming from a real place within, within you. It's when our actions, and our words are congruent with our beliefs and values. It's being ourselves, not an imitation of what we think we should be or have been told we should be.

What exactly are beliefs and values?

Beliefs are the thoughts that you accept as true and you think are completely true all the time. It's something that you operate from every day. It’s like an autopilot belief, there is no doubt in your mind that this thing, this thought or belief is true. Your values are your principles or your...

Thinking like an entrepreneur can be tricky for those of us that have been “employees” our whole lives. We haven’t ever had to think any different than, “I get up, go to my job, they tell me what to do, and I get a paycheck”.

Entrepreneurship my friend is a completely different game, which means you need to THINK in a completely different way. 

Be totally honest with yourself...

Q1. On a scale of 1 to 10 how do you feel about money? 

1 = "it's a huge stress in my life"

10 = "it's only a matter of time until I'm Oprah rich!"

Q.2 On a scale of 1 to 10 how in control of your life do you feel right now?

1 = "I have no control"

10 = "I have full control over my life"

Q.3 On a scale of 1 to 10 how committed are you to growing a successful business?

1 = "I hope I can"

10 = "I'll die trying if I have to"

What is level 10 to you?

This concept of the level 10 you is a version of you who has everything that you say you want. It's a future version of you...

What is so important about your brand story?

You’re brand story is the narrative that you share that encompasses the thoughts and feelings that are created by your brand. It has to evoke emotion and connect your audience to you because this is what gives your brand a soul. Your brand really is like this living breathing thing so your story has to communicate your mission. It gets you visibility, it gets you recognition and those things help expand your message into the world. If you’re on the internet already, if you’re a business or not, your brand exists and it’s already creating a perception. What you’re putting into the world and what you’re not putting into the world is already shaping your story and your messaging. 

We’re here to impact people, give them value, and also create a life we love while doing it and that’s not selfish. Wanting more from your life is not a bad thing, it’s a good thing. Your first mission...

What is your unique value proposition or, as I like to say, what is your sparkle? 

This will be the core of your messaging. It tells your customers exactly what you and your business offers that no one else can and why you are the right choice to solve their problem.  Really think about what you want to be known for. This isn’t about your niche so don’t put yourself in a box. This is about your messaging. Who are you attracting into your audience, who are you attracting as customers. Are you attracting people who want the value but not the pricetag? Or are you attracting the people that WANT to pay you what you are worth?

Are you watering down your messaging because your afraid to draw that line in the sand and say THIS IS WHO I HELP and these are the kind of customers I want to attract because you’re scared you will repel certain people or leave money on the table?

GUESS WHAT?

Not everyone is going to like you...AND THAT’S A GOOD THING! I’ve...

What is a brand message?

It’s what you're going to talk about across all of your platforms, this is what you want to tell the world about your business, about what your brand stands for. Also it’s going to help connect your people to you and it's going to repel the people that aren’t a match for you. That's really important because your audience won't grow, you won't get the right clients and your business will stay stagnant if you don't have the right messaging that connects to your audience.

Make your ideal client a real person.

First, you have to figure out who your ideal client is. This requires that you dig a little deep and really think about who you’re serving and what it is you’re selling. Before you create your message, you need to figure out who you’re talking to.  We don't want to talk to everybody because if you talk to everybody you’re really talking to nobody. 

When I first started my business,  I got a lot of...

We have made busy our new drug.

Why? Because busy means we can avoid fears and emotion and we stay in control or at least we think we do. Because giving up control, surrendering, or accepting that we are only responsible for the effort and not the outcome is f’ing scary!

As business owners we spend a lot of time thinking about the results we are going to get or the outcomes we want. How do we think we control that? With the effort we put in right?

Wrong…

So if that’s wrong, then what do we have control over, where do we want to be focusing our effort?

1. Having the tools you require for your survival and to run your business
2. The actions you take towards the desired outcomes and results

The actual outcomes and results….do not hang out here

Sure you can predict what the results will be, you can set goals, you can do your absolute best at all the tools and actions, but you cannot fully control the outcome.

Just row the damn boat

Let me give you an example. Your...

Let’s  talk about evicting the mean girl in your head. No you’re not crazy, we all have that voice in our head that pops in uninvited and tells us things that usually sounds like negative self talk. Going into 2020 we want a positive mindset. We don't want or need to be talking crap about ourselves to ourselves. We are our own worst critics and sometimes we don't even realize that we're doing it, it's an automatic thought that just pops up in your head and you don't even mean to think it, but you do.

Acknowledge the thought - realize that they're talking. 

You have to realize that the thought is present and you have to know that those thoughts are negative thoughts. You know the ones, “I’m not good enough”, “I can't do this”, “I am stupid.” 

Be very careful of your I AM statements. Whatever you say after I am, you are telling yourself you are and your brain believes what you tell it period. So when you say I am,...

SO this whole month we have been talking about your goals going into 2020.

How important they are

Why they are important

And how to break them down

If you missed any of those live videos and need to catch up, just click here to go to my Facebook Page 

Today we are going to to talk about finalizing your goals and staying in alignment with them through out the year.

The Story You Tell Yourself

Look I understand that when you set goals they feel like a reason to fail, at least that's how most people look at them. Like if they don't reach them then something is wrong with THEM. This my loves is just a story you are attaching to the word goal.

 This year I would really like to invite you to look at them in a totally different way

Let's look at them as a map to get you closer to fulfilling your vision, and growing your business and yourself! They are the destination of the journey you are on.

Would you tell the Uber driver "I don't know where I'm going, just drive" 

...

Going into 2020 we all have resolutions or things that we want to get accomplished, and we often feel like “how am I going to get it all done.” and we don't feel like we're living to our fullest potential. We all get tired, we are human right? We can get easily overwhelmed or feel like we could do or be more but aren't sure how.

These 5 I's will help guide you to living life to it's full potential.

Intuition

Most of us don't take the time to feel things, instead we just react. Intuition is listening to your gut or that feeling you get when you either know something's wrong or you know something's right or when that feeling is kind of pushing you to do the thing that you're afraid of. It's saying do it or don't do it but we often don't listen to it, we just react with our heads. 

I heard this saying about intuition, and you can phrase this however you want, Universe, Source, Buddha, or whoever you feel is your higher power, but this phrase was related to God....

Take Back Control of Your Schedule

Are you running your schedule? Or are you at the beck and call of everyone else?

If you're not setting boundaries around your availability, then that needs to change right now, friends!

It's time to take control of your life, your business, and your schedule by creating clear boundaries.

Here is how to unapologetically take control of your calendar now.
1. Create drop dead, line in the sand, working hours.
2. Purposefully choose days to work "on" your business and days to work "in" your business.
3. Do not create a schedule that makes you available ALL THE TIME

Create drop dead, line in the sand, working hours.

Ok, this does not mean "I work M-S 12am to 12pm" It does mean, choose reasonable working hours and stick to them. You will need to commit to this and it should be part of the vision for your business that you are living and breathing everyday. You're not going to miss out on anything, in fact your customers, clients, and vendors will appreciate...