Have you ever had the experience of knowing what you really wanted, but having no idea how to get there from here?

I know I have.  It can be really frustrating!

I’d know what the end result was that I wanted, but didn’t know all of the steps it would take to make it happen. So I’d get overwhelmed, I’d stall, and I wouldn’t do what it took to get to my goal.

Then I had an interesting thought. I just had to turn on my headlights!

Let me tell you what I mean.

Let’s say you were driving in the evening from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  If you took US 101, it would be about a 430 mile drive.  Now, you would not be able to see all 430 miles of that road. In fact, once you pulled out of your driveway and turned on your headlights, you’d only be able to see about 180 feet in front of you.

Yet, we don’t let that stop us!  We don’t get paralyzed by fear. We don’t sit there and worry, “What’s going to happen when I get to the end of this 180 feet—I won’t be able to see anything!?!”  No, we simply drive the illuminated section of the road, and trust that when we get to the end of the part that’s lit, the next section of road will be illuminated as we move forward.  And that’s how we do the whole 430 miles—180 feet at a time!

I realized that this was exactly what I needed to do with my business goals! I needed to set the goal, lay out the steps I could see in front of me, and trust that as I got toward the end of the part that was clear to me, the next steps would become evident. And they always do!

I like to begin by asking myself “What’s the best case scenario?” And then I figure out the first step to take me in that direction.  And I do that step.

It’s can work the same way for you. You do what you can in the part you can see, and trust that when you get to the end of the part of the path that’s illuminated, you’ll see the next part of the path…the next step on the journey. That’s the way it works. 180 feet at a time.

Everything does not have to be perfect before you start!  That’s a recipe for staying stuck, a recipe for never moving toward your big goals.  You just have to “chunk it down”.

Several years ago, I did the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer walk—60 miles over three days.  I was overweight, not at all fit, and it was a huge goal.

I “turned on my headlights,” and used this approach. The first day, I looked at the event website, and developed a training plan.  Didn’t walk an inch.  The next day, I went and bought walking shoes.  Still didn’t walk.  The third day, I walked around the block.

I remember the first time I walked a mile.  I was doing the happy dance.  I didn’t worry about how I’d walk the other 59 miles.  I was just doing it “180 feet at time,” as far ahead as I could see. By late spring, I was training in Redstone Canyon 6 ½  miles up, and 6 ½ miles back down.

When August came, despite the record-setting 100 degree plus temperatures all three days, I was able to walk every one of those 60 miles.  I met that goal,because I just did the next thing that I could see to do.

I apply the same principles to my business goals.  So here are a few tips:

1.  Set big goals. Don’t worry if you don’t know every step you need to take to reach them.  Just “turn on your headlights,” and do what’s in front of you.

2. Be willing to change. It’s impossible to reach a big goal without learning and growing, and becoming even more.  Get ready to grow!

3.  Celebrate your successes along the way. It helps build momentum and excitement.

What methods have you used successfully to break out of overwhelm and “stucked-ness” to go after a huge goal? Please share them and add your other comments below!

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“Now” is the operative word.

Everything you put in your way

is just a method of putting off the hour

when you could actually

be doing your dream.

~ Barbara Sher

I’ve met so many amazing women over the last month as I’ve been traveling to attend two incredible events, and given six speeches at various conferences and events.

I’ve begun following up with those who’ve asked me to call them, and I’ve been struck by one thing—how many of them are stuck. And what’s worse is—they believe their own excuses!

They want to move forward. They want to reach their goals. They want to attract more clients, and make more money.  They know what they need to do, they know what skills they need to develop, they know what investment to make, but they don’t.

They say they’re too busy.  They say they have too many commitments.  They say they don’t have the money to invest in their business. So they choose to do nothing!

They stay stuck. They don’t get more clients. They don’t make more money. And they let their dreams lie dormant. They continue to struggle, and just get by.  Their spark goes out little by little.

Don’t let your excuses and self-doubt stand between you and what you want the most!

Get really, really clear about what you want.  Get really, really clear about what it will take to get there.  Then make a commitment to yourself that you will do whatever it takes to make it happen.  And, as Barbara Sher suggests: Start now! Right now! Only then will you begin to have the success you truly deserve.

So ask yourself, “What is the one thing I can start doing right this moment that will increase my success?” And go do it. Now!

Share below what that one thing is…then go do it…now!

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I was talking with a potential client last week.  We were talking about her frustration with her business.

Despite my best efforts to stop her, she was well into a rather long-winded story about how she doesn’t really understand why her business is doing so poorly, because she has such a positive attitude.  She said that no matter what happens she looks on the bright side.  She loses a potential client, she stays optimistic; she bungles a potential deal, she doesn’t let it throw her; she runs out of money in her business account, she doesn’t sweat it.

She had a great sense of pride as she told me this.  I gently asked her, “So what do you learn, and what do you do differently when these things happen?” There was silence on the other end of the phone.  I relaxed into the silence while she thought. Then, in a small voice which was quavering a little, she said, “Well, nothing really, I guess.  I just try to keep a positive frame of mind and hope it all works out.”

Really?  She hopes it all works out!?!

Hope is not a strategy! It became crystal clear why this smart, talented woman has a business that was going nowhere.  Yes, mindset is extremely important—you hear that from me all the time.  Attitude is important, too—but contrary to popular belief, attitude is NOT everything!  Strategy, focus, smart planning, execution, daily action—that’s everything!

And here’s what else I know for sure—this woman is not the only one. I can’t tell you how many variations of this I hear from women every week as I talk to them about their businesses.

So here are three quick ways to get clients into your business now, so you don’t have to rely on “hope.”

1.  Define your tribe, your peeps, your niche.

Who can you help the most?  Who would you love working with?  The place where those intersect is your tribe.

For me, it’s women entrepreneurs.  Can I help men?  Sure.  Do I love working with them?  Not nearly as much as I love working with women.  Do I turn men away?  No.  Do I market to them, and target my copy to them.  Nope—I target my marketing and my copy to my perfect target market—my peeps.  You.

2.  Get out and speak.

Yes, you! Speaking is one of the fastest paths to clients and cash.  It positions you as an expert, lets you talk to audiences made up of your perfect target market, and gives you an opportunity to sell to them in a way that’s not “pushy” or “sales-y.”  Client attraction just doesn’t get any better than this.  You get to speak to people “one-to-many” instead of just “one-to-one.”

Know the purpose of your speech, fine-tune your message until it’s crystal clear, develop your signature speech, and get the skills to deliver it powerfully.  As I often say, though—the only thing than not speaking is getting out there and doing it badly.

Make sure you have a solid speech and great delivery skills, then get out there and share your message.

3.  Know your numbers.

Yep, I know it’s math, but do it anyway.  Figure out how much money you want to make in your business each month.  Then figure out how many clients it will take to hit that number.

If your closing ratio is, for example, 50%, you have to talk to twice as many people that month as you need clients.  If your closing ratio is 25%, you need to talk to four times as many.

Then, figure out where those people will come from.  Networking, speaking, reaching out to former clients, and asking for referrals are all good methods of getting leads.

So there you have it–three tips to take you beyond a “positive attitude” and “hope.” to solid strategy and action.  It’s up to you to take the next step.

Please share the action you will take below.  How will you add solid strategy and action to your positive frame of mind?  What’s your first step?

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One of my mentors posted this quote on Facebook yesterday morning:

“Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says, “Oh, Crap!  She’s Up!”

I love this! And I’ve let it float around in my mind all morning, playing with its possibilities.  I’ve been asking myself, “In the context of business, what kind of woman would that be?”

She would absolutely certain of her purpose. This purpose would drive everything.  It would determine what her core message is, how she would market, and how she would talk to people.

She would make decisions that supported her purpose.  She would laser focus the actions she took.  She would not let fear stop her and would go after her goals with single-minded focus. She would do whatever it takes.

She would embrace her power and use it with grace. She would be gutsy, powerful, and constantly moving forward.  She would stand in her power boldly.

So that’s what I’ve been pondering this morning.

What about you?  Are you that kind of woman?  Does your business reflect that?

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Several years ago, I heard Alan Weiss, author of Million Dollar Consulting, speak at my chapter of the National Speakers Association.  In his talk, he talked about what he called the 1% solution. He said that if you improve by 1% each day, in 70 days, you are twice as good.

This has been floating around in my mind since that time. And I got to wondering—what if you improved every day for a year? How much better would you be then?

I’m no math whiz, so I called my cousin Stan, the financial genius.  I said, “Stan, you know about compound interest…can you figure out compound effort?”  Stan did the math, and told that if someone did 1% better 365 days in a row, they’d be 37.4 percent better!  Elise, one of my pottery buddies, a PhD student and self professed math nerd did the math another way, and got the same number.

This really is astounding!  37 times better in one year! This is the power of compounding.

What would this mean for your business?

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.  You want to choose some things that you could use to get 1% better every day.

Learn something.

In today’s world, you need to be an expert in your field.  Knowledge and expertise set you apart from the masses, and make you the “go to” person in your area of specialty.  You’re never done learning. Read a chapter in a book, listen to a teleseminar, read an article, do internet research, listen to a speaker—the possibilities for learning are endless.  Know 1% more each day, and you’ll know 37 times more after a year.

Know your target market/audience.

When you market to everyone, you market to no one! It’s important to know who you are meant to serve, and how you can best help them. It’s important to know how you can help solve their problems or help them reach their goals.  You need to know them intimately in order to best be of help.

Often, people are afraid to do this. They’re afraid that if they narrow their focus, if they don’t cast a wide net, that they’ll miss some opportunities.  Actually, the opposite is true.  The more you focus on a niche, the more the people in that niche feel like you are there just for them, and the more “client attractive” you become.  Focus on knowing your target market just 1% better each day and watch what happens.

Get laser focused.

Often when I talk to entrepreneurs and ask them what they do, their answer is so fuzzy and unfocused that I’m still not sure what their expertise is even after they answer.  Make sure your message is clear, focused, and on target for your listener.  You can’t be all things to all people.  Get really, really clear.

Know what sets you apart from everyone else. Know how your product or service will serve your target market.  Be able to talk about it clearly and succinctly. How can you get 1% more clear and more focused in your messaging today?

Uplevel your skill set.

Use the additional knowledge you’re gaining every day to get better and better at what you do.  Remember, if you improve just 1% a day, you’ll be 37 times better in a year.

Be a better speaker.

Speaking to an audience made up of your perfect target audience is an incredibly effective way to get clients. But you have to be good—really good. I always say, “The only thing worse than not speaking, is speaking and doing it badly.”  Study, practice, get coaching, read my e-book (link for download below).  Make a commitment to get 1% better every day so you can “wow” your audiences and attract clients.

So there you have it.  The power of a 1% daily improvement.

What will you focus on improving 1% today?  Share your thoughts below.

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I was interviewed on the radio yesterday.  Because I’m the author of Great Quotes from Feisty Women, the interviewer asked me what my favorite quote was.  That’s a tough question.  I have three on the bulletin board next to my desk.

Here’s my favorite:

“When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”  Audre Lord

For me, it’s the “get out of your own way” quote.  It’s the “it’s not about you—be in service to others” quote.  It’s the “don’t let fear stop you from going after your dreams” quote.

There’s great wisdom in these words.  They remind us to get clear, really clear on our vision, on what we really want.  They tell us to identify our strengths, and then to use them to move toward our vision. And most importantly, they tell us to move beyond our fears.

When I work with people who want to learn how to speak from the stage and get their message out, it’s often fear that’s stopping them. It’s that little voice asks, “Who would want to listen to me?”  It’s the part of them that keeps them from playing big and going after what they really want.

The truth is, you’ll feel fear when you try something new. It’s just part of the process.

Instead of letting it stop you, how about this?  How about telling yourself, “This is awesome!  I’m at my growing edge. I’m trying something new, so I’m feeling some fear.  It’s just a message that I’m taking a big step forward. Yay, me!”

Then take that next step forward—and watch yourself and your business grow!

So where have you let fear stop you?  And where have you decided that it’s less important that you’re afraid, and have moved forward anyway?

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A few weeks ago, I was in my favorite breakfast eatery, Snooze, with my friend Jo celebrating her birthday. Snooze is a totally cool place with a kind of futuristic “Jetsons- yet- retro,” “hip- yet- inviting” feel.  And you’ve really not lived until you’ve had one of their pineapple upside down pancakes with vanilla crème anglaise and cinnamon butter.

Impressive Breakfast Delivery

Our food was brought to the table by a really happy guy who delivered our breakfast with enthusiasm and joy. No “food slung mindlessly on the table” here. You could almost hear the “Ta-Da”  music in the background. This guy was excited about this food. He seemed to be thrilled to be bringing it to us. It was clear he cared about our experience. His enthusiasm was contagious.

Jo and I watched him over the next hour, bringing delicious  food and his own special brand of joy to each table in the restaurant.  He was the topic of our breakfast conversation, “He acts as if he cooked each dish himself,” “He’s so proud of this food.” “He looks like he’s having so much fun.”

Fast forward three weeks. This morning, three friends took me to Snooze for breakfast to celebrate my birthday week.  Once again, this same young man with the big grin brought us our food. I began to tell my friends about his awesomeness, when they said, “Tell him!”

So we called him over and I told him how much I appreciated him and why.  He said “I love what I do!” and thanked us for making his “day, week, month!”  (He’s exuberant like that.)

We also shared this with Nick the Manager, who told us that Bryce loves what he does, is studying hospitality management in school, and is an amazing member of their team.

And here’s why Bryce Norblom is so amazing:

1. He’s working in his sweet spot. Bryce clearly loves what he does. He has great pride in the food he serves, and creates an excellent customer experience. How could you feel anything but lucky to be eating what this guy is clearly so excited about?  He gives off the vibe that there’s nowhere he’d rather be than right there, and nothing he’d rather be doing than bringing you your breakfast.

2. He makes it about the customer. Today, having heard it was my birthday, he went back and had the kitchen make me a birthday pancake, and brought it out with a lit candle and a flourish.  You could tell he was just delighted to surprise me. And for me, it wasn’t just the birthday pancake—it was his glee at bringing it to me.

3. He’s incredibly cheerful at 7 o’clock in the morning. Nuff said.

So look at your business:

Are working in your sweet spot? Are you passionate about what you do?  Are you doing what you do best and leveraging your strengths?  Are you excited about what you are offering?

Are you making it about the customer? Do you know your customer intimately?  Do you know their pain, their aspirations, their lives?  Are you focused on helping them?  Are you focused on giving them the best products and services you can? Are you constantly looking for new ways of serving them and making their lives better?

Are you cheerful at 7 am? Are you taking care of yourself and getting enough rest? Are you confident that what you do that day will make a difference?  Do you get out of bed excited about what you will create each day?

Incorporating these three “Reasons Why Bryce Norblom is Amazing” into your business can make you as amazing as he is!

I’d love to hear about the “Bryce Norbloms” you’ve encountered, and what made that customer experience so amazing.

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As I walked to my car after attending an “unconference” last week, this sticker on another car caught my eye.  I had to take a picture of it.  I’ve been thinking about it all week.

How might things transform if we all lived by this motto? What would the world be like if we all wagged more and barked less?

Leaders and Small Business Owners

Leaders and small business owners would focus on the strengths of their people.  They would share an exciting vision of the future, and help each person see how their contribution helps move the organization toward that future. They would set clear expectations, encourage their people, celebrate their successes, and help them learn from their “creative missteps.”

They would focus on and talk about what’s going right. They’d set achievable milestones so that people would feel a continued sense of progress and achievement. They’d get excited about small wins, and help them become bigger ones.  They’d become each of their employees’ biggest champion.

They’d create an organizational culture that is focused on creating an amazing experience for their customers. They would make their customers feel valued and appreciated, and make each transaction uncommonly good. Their customers would be so happy, that they’d wag themselves, telling others in their circle about their remarkable experience with the organization. Word would spread. Business would increase.  More wagging all around.

In Our Personal Lives

We’d focus on what’s going right. We’d live with a great sense of gratitude, and appreciate all of the awe-inspiring things we encounter each day—the smile of a toddler, a beautiful flower, the touch of a loved one, the taste of a juicy peach, the miracle of everyday life.  We would wag all day long if we simply tuned into just how good things in our lives really are.

We wouldn’t complain. We’d change what we had influence over, and let go of the rest.  We would not spend time complaining about things we have no power to change.  Barking about things we can’t change is a waste of time and energy.

We wouldn’t blame. We would focus on wagging our way to the solution to any problem we face, rather than looking at whose “fault” the problem is.

We’d be a joy to be around. People would be attracted to our positive energy, and want to hang with us. They’d wag more as well.  We’d all be wagging together, joyfully living our lives.

So that’s been my focus this last week—wagging more and barking less.

How about you?  What will you do to incorporate this into your life?  Are your ready to wag more and bark less?

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I got my first smart phone last month. It has a built in GPS/navigation system with a tiny woman who lives in my phone and gives me turn by turn directions. I call her Myrtle. We’ve bonded.

I’ve noticed that I don’t quite trust Myrtle yet. When I’m leaving my office to go somewhere new, I take a quick peek at Google Maps on my desktop computer and get an idea in my head of where I’m going and what main roads will take me there. Then I trust Myrtle to take care of the details of the small streets once I get in the vicinity of my destination.

Can you say “control freak?”

Last weekend, my best friend and I were headed to an estate sale. True to form, I’d looked at the map on my desktop computer before leaving. I knew where I was headed.

Except that Myrtle had other ideas. As we pulled out of my friend’s neighborhood, and onto the main road, Myrtle told me to “make a right turn on E. Vine Drive.” Now, in my mind, we should be staying on North College Avenue for a few more miles before turning off. But Myrtle said we should turn.

I was going to ignore Myrtle and go my way (Myrtle has a remarkable ability to recalibrate and create a new route when I ignore her gentle urgings), but my friend said, “Let’s just go the way Myrtle is telling us.”

So I turned on Vine. Then Myrtle told me to stay on Vine for a few more miles before turning again. I just knew this could not be right. I knew I should turn left on LeMay. My friend urged me to stay the course, and listen to Myrtle. I said, “I don’t have a half hour to waste if she takes us way out of the way.”

My wise friend suggested it would probably only take us, at best, five minutes out of the way, and that I might learn something. So I decided to let go and give control to Myrtle.

The route in my head would have taken us through this.

Myrtle’s route took us through the scenery at the top of this post. And I don’t think it took us any longer.

My friend was right. I learned something.

Letting go and inviting in outside guidance can bring better results than having a predetermined, rigid plan that you alone formulate.

Start with what you know. Start with your best ideas. Then open yourself up to other possibilities. The world of business today is too complex to ignore the wealth of information that is available to us.

Be open to outside guidance. Input can come from many places. Create your own “board of directors.” These are people you like and respect, who have expertise that is different than your own, and who are open to providing you with information and ideas. They are people you can call or meet with as needed. You can ask questions, and kick around ideas, get a “sanity check.”

Let go of control. And the need to be right. Both important. Both tough. Both will close you off from a world of possibilities.

So here’s a question for you. Where does your need to control things keep you stuck, and limit your business growth and success?

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“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”  General Eric Shinseki

Over these last few weeks, I’ve been working with an organization that is undergoing a huge amount of change. They’re looking at changing their organizational culture,  the way services are delivered, and the way they’re organized.

I’ve had the opportunity to teach their leadership team how to lead change, and to deliver a “How to Thrive and Stay Sane in the Midst of Change” workshop for all of their employees.

When I came across Eric Shinseki’s quote, I knew I had to share it with this organization.  And I knew I had to share it with you.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

The nice thing about staying in our comfort zone is that we get to be, well, comfortable. We can relax, put it on “cruise control” and never really have to stretch or feel hesitant, anxious, or insecure. We know where we’re headed, what to do, and how to do it. It’s easy.

It’s also a recipe for staying stuck, for not growing, and for not tapping all of our passions and gifts.

Whether we are a business owner, or are employed in an organization, remaining in our comfort zones is a sure path to irrelevance.  And a quick one.

Be Willing to Continually Reinvent Yourself

The world is changing at an unprecedented pace. Those who excel in today’s environment have several things in common:

A willingness to learn something new every day. Do you set aside time to read blogs, listen to teleseminars, read books, attend events, watch webinars? Are you growing and learning and staying ahead of the curve? Are you staying relevant?

A commitment to being unique. In today’s world, you can’t be a commodity.  You can’t be just like everyone else.  You have to stand out, be known for something, be the go-to person for the area of your expertise.  You have to have expertise, and then add your own sumtin’ sumptin’ to make it unique.

The ability to be flexible and to adapt. Markets change. Customer needs are ever evolving. Consumers are faced with a mind-blowing array of choices.  Those who excel stay on the leading edge. They ask their customers what they need. They innovate. They are willing to change and reinvent themselves.

A clear message that they communicate in multiple forums.  Be clear about what you stand for what others can count on you for. Build your reputation. Be visible. Then be more visible.

An emphasis on relationships. In the end, it’s all about relationships. It’s about how you can help other people.  Whether through your services, your products, or just your presence, it’s about how you can be of service to other people. Be amazing at follow up, at staying in touch, at sharing what you can offer to help others.

Seize the Moment- NOW!

“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”

Please don’t read this post and say to yourself, “Hey, those were some good ideas,” and then go back into the safety of your comfort zone. Identify one BOLD step (and if that’s too scary, one small step) that will take you toward the success you dream of, and away from irrelevance.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What’s one change you can make to make you more successful, and reduce your chances of becoming irrelevant? Share it below.

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