Saturday, September 03, 2011

Letting Go Does Not Mean Giving Up!!!!

I was talking with a dear friend and fellow entrepreneurial mom. We have been taking care of each other for the last 7 years. She was sharing how she made a difficult decision to turn down an opportunity to work with a client that could have been worth $1,000 to $1,500. We talked about why she needed to make this decision and the process she used to come to the decision. Here is what I learned from her wisdom:

  • When she said no to a client that was not a good fit for her, she opened herself up to a yes from a potential client that was a good fit;
  • She felt stronger, and more assured as she made and implemented the decision which intern built a level of confidence that was amazing to see; and
  • She chose to honor herself and not sell herself for a sum of money.

With this decision she bought back a week of production, time with her family and a sense of self worth that is immeasurable. Are you selling your soul for a few dollars? I think it is easy to make decision on immediate need without thinking about the long-term ramifications. Be sure as you build your business that you do so with integrity for your self and your clients.


Friday, September 02, 2011

When the entrepreneur is ready . . .

The client will come. Yes, that may sound strange, but I must stay it is so true. I have been in a holding pattern for business for about two years. Before that I was busy, running my business, juggling lots of clients and building a plan to automate my business. Then the fateful day came when we realized we were being called to homeschool our boys. This was not a bad thing, just a big change and one that truly changed how our business was going to move forward.

Due to the major change for me, I literally stopped my business. It was like a gear grinding to a complete stop, or someone slamming on their brakes. I knew I had to put all my eggs in the one basket and then watch that basket. Fast forward two years and now we are in a groove with homeschool, we have a better handle on how long everything takes and honestly I am relaxing more as a mom and an entrepreneur. Thus I find myself ready, I have a window for clients and energy to service them. Low and behold the emails are coming in, and I am making appointments to meet with clients.

So what changed? Well, I did. Once I found my groove in homeschooling I realized I had a few more grooves left or bandwidth for a little bit more. Then without even realizing it I put the intention out there that I was open to work with someone and then and only then did the opportunity arise. At present that has allowed me to secure two clients which is such a blessing. Both fit my profile and understand my world. I am eternally grateful for my presence of mind, my mindfulness to my life so that I could make good decisions when the time was right.

Are you ready and don't know it? Are you being intentional about your life and business? Are you creating room for your success? If you think that may not be the case, take some time to think about how you can be ready for the next opportunity. Think about how you can be intentional about creating that success and present to grab it when it arrives.