Archive for entrepreneur
The Three Key Components to Flying Your Freak Flag
Posted by: | CommentsDo you struggle to make all the money you need to survive?
It’s not surprising!
There are tons of people offering the same basic services that you are. It’s like a big beige blur of boring…everyone doing the same things the same way.
You could be a musician, healer, coach, or other type of entrepreneur and whether or not you’re successful comes down to the same thing-
Are you able to differentiate yourself from all the rest and become the obvious choice?
If people don’t know that you exist and remember you- there is no way in hell you’re going to make any real money!
Flying your freak flag is the answer!
Flying your freak flag makes you interesting and gives people something to rally around!
It eliminates competition; makes you stand out & become super shiny; and makes it really easy for the people who resonate with what you have to offer to find you.
What is flying your freak flag all about?
Being fully self-expressed, having an opinion and bringing all of you to the party, so you can let your brilliance shine!!
It’s also about saying “Yes” to what you are interested in and saying “No” to the crap you could care less about.
Flying your freak flag AMPS Up your shine factor so you become super shiny to the people who are looking for what you are offering.
When you offer what you want to offer in your own unique way there is no competition, because you have your own unique magic and way of doing things.
Tap into your own special brand of magic and the cash starts rolling in! Can I get a big “Hell Yhea!”
Here is the thing that no-body tells you -
What you stand for and the quirks that make you weird and freaky are really your biggest selling points!! These are the things that are going to attract people to you and make you the obvious choice.
Flying your freak flag in your biz specifically allows you to be REAL and bring it all with you: strengths, flaws, weird habits, freaky ideas, vulnerabilities, and your unique perspective and talents. These are the things that are going to allow people to connect with you, and say a big “YES” and hand over the cash.
I know this sounds kind of scary! Especially when you apply this concept to your biz! It goes against the pre-packaged biz ideas we were brought up with. The pre-packaged way of doing biz has us hiding these things under a suit of conformity……I suspect that doesn’t work for you.
Contrary to what we have been brought up to believe- It’s OK to let the REAL you show in your biz. Matter of fact- it’s preferable. It builds trust and allows people to connect with you.
Three Key Components
There are three key components to flying your freak flag-
1. Owning who you are and what differentiates you from all the rest
2. Taking a stand for what you believe in
3. Creating from a place of alignment
I’ll break each one down in upcoming blog posts.
Remember- there are plenty of other people out there who are just as weird and freaky as you who are dying to be seen and understood!
When you fly your freak flag - you give other people permission to do it too! That’s a beautiful thing. It’s inspiring and it allows the people who resonate with what you have to offer to find you.
~I hope you really take this part in ~
People don’t become your raving fans who buy up everything that you offer because of what you do (service wise). They do it because of who you are, the way they relate to you and what you stand for.
Especially in these times, people are sick and tired of being scammed and taken advantage of. They want to deal with real people who they can trust and relate to.
Flying your freak flag and being real allows people to relate to and trust you!
Let me add this last piece-
Flying your freak flag doesn’t require you to get crazy and dye your hair blue and act all wild-unless that’s what feels right to you. It can be something as simple as talking about your mermaid obsession, or rocking out a tie dye shirt as part of your biz attire. The key is to let people see you in an authentic way.
I will leave you with these three questions-
What parts of your biz doesn’t feel like you?
Where are you hiding out?
What are three things that you can do today to bring more of YOU into your biz so people can see the real you?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Say Yes to more You-ness!
Posted by: | CommentsDo you ever find yourself re-evaluating everything that you’re doing?
I sure do!
Life is all about growth and expansion and CHANGE is a big part of it. It’s important that you check in every now and then to make any adjustments that you need so you can stay in perfect alignment with your ever expanding self.
Recently I checked in to see if the name Defy the Box was still in alignment with what I’m all about. I’ve shifted a bit from being a rabble rouser and preaching about how society keeps us trapped in pre-packaged lives; and expanded into being someone who helps you amplify your shine factor by flying your freak flag high and proud.
I’m still talking about all the same things; I’m just applying them in a more expansive way.
I realize more than ever - you need to let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are.
LOVE. IT. ALL.
When you do this you become super shiny and life feels kick-ass.
This is especially important when you are an entrepreneur. You’re selling yourself more than anything.
If you want to rock your business out – you’d better feel good about yourself; be really clear about what your super powers are; and what you stand for.
More YOU-ness all the time- show the people what you’ve got! (I’m not talking about flashing here either!)
But in order to do this……..in order to fully love and accept who we are……. we need to let go of all the preconceived notions of who we THINK we are.
Reject the boxes, roles, expectations, and beliefs that you are trying to fit into.
Question everything to see if it is true.
Give yourself permission to be unique; brilliant; flawed.
HUMAN.
This takes courage! You’ll meet all kinds of resistance to you being YOU. People will call you crazy, and say that’s not the way you’re supposed to do things. They will try and make you wrong. Hell, you’ll make yourself wrong.
Do it anyway.
It’s so worth it when you hit the sweet spot of being in alignment and the world is opening up before you. You become a sparkly, shiny beacon of light that attracts all kinds of amazing opportunities- freedom, fun, people, jobs, money, and connection.
Life is Totally KICK-ASS!
Defy the Box and say “yes” to you!
Are you in?
What are some boxes that you are ready to defy?
Feeling Exposed and Vulnerable
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been feeling extremely vulnerable the past few weeks. Raw and uncertain, and questioning my choices.
I’m feeling this way because my dear sweet 13 year old cat Spike is in complete kidney failure and the vet says that there is not much we can do for him at this point. We tried some treatments that could possibly extend his life for a little while, but he did not respond well to them.
So now we are waiting- waiting for me to make the choice to have him euthanized.
Boy does it suck to be in this place!
I’m questioning my choices in the past around his care; mad at the vet we were going to for not seeing the signs of this when I brought him in this summer; and thinking that I should try the treatments again to see if they work this time.
I’m doubting myself, and looking to everyone else for answers because I don’t want to make the wrong choice. If I’m honest, I have to admit that I want someone else to make the choice for me and give me an answer so I don’t have to be responsible.
I know that only I can make this choice….just like all the other choices in my life. I need to move beyond my fear of getting it wrong; my guilt for not questioning his old vet when I sensed something was wrong; my emotions about missing him and tune into my inner knowing where I can dance with his spirit and hear what he needs. He will tell me and I will know when it’s time if I allow myself to listen.
Being this vulnerable and witnessing my desire to have someone else tell me what to do reminds me of feeling vulnerable in my coaching business. This work is coming straight from my heart and I often times feel extremely exposed and vulnerable.
Do you ever feel that way in your business?
I want to make the right choices and create the right programs. I want to make money!! But there have been times when I was struggling to make ends meet and doubted myself and the choices I made. I wanted someone else to sweep in and give me the answers and show me the way and I wasn’t afraid to throw money at the problem. I’ve spent at least $15,000 on coaches and programs that promised to show me how to be successful.
Weirdly enough, the more I tried to follow the blueprint and do the things they told me to do ….the more I struggled. What I realized was that I was trying to cram myself into their formula for success, rather than creating my own.
For some reason I trusted them more than I trusted myself.
I think that is what can easily happen when you’re feeling vulnerable. You want someone else to sweep in and relieve the pressure and make you feel safe. Rather than make your own choices and risk making a mistake, it is easier to hand it all over to someone else to solve for you. Then if it doesn’t work out you can put the blame on them.
What I’ve learned is that I can ask questions, hire someone else to teach me skills, and help me generate ideas, but my success comes from deep inside of me. My business is an extension of who I am. The more I bring myself into, fly my freak flag and trust my inner guidance the more successful I become. No one else can tell me the way. I just have to trust myself.
What have you learned from your vulnerability?
How do you move through it?
Viva La Revolution (Part 2)
Posted by: | Comments 
As promised, I am back with part 2 of – Viva La Revolution- how to identify your Revolution.
It’s all about showing up fully, differentiating yourself, and giving people a compelling reason to hire you so you can stop settling and make some real money doing what you love.
I left you thinking about your point of view.
In case you forgot- Your point of view is your unique perspective. It’s what you know to be true and feel passionate about. It’s the thing that drives you and the wisdom that you live by. It’s also what makes you special and unique.
It’s important to take the time to identify your point of view and be conscious of it because doing so helps you stay true to you, and sends out a powerful signal that attracts other people who resonate with it into your experience. They will quickly become your friends and allies.
Your Revolution
Once you have your point of view down, it’s time to move onto your Revolution.
Your Revolution springs out of your point of view and is based on what drives you crazy, what you see as missing, and where you constantly want to take action to change things. In most cases, this is what got you into the business that you are in. It’s the WHY and the driving force behind what you do.
Don’t be afraid to claim it!!!
I want to throw out there that your Revolution is about you taking a stand for what you believe in. Don’t be afraid to take a stand for the change you really want to see and raise up your flag. It doesn’t need to be popular or politically correct. It can go against what other people are doing and saying.
Matter of fact…it’s better to be bold! That is what a revolution is all about…shaking things up and saying “This can be different and I’m going to show you how”.
Your revolution is that thing that you can’t stop talking about! It will compel you to write a book and launch a website because you are passionate about it! You want to show other people how to avoid falling into this trap!
Your Revolution is a rallying point for people. They will get behind you and want to be part of it.
My revolution –
My revolution springs from being upset that so many talented musicians, coaches, and healers feel they have to give up their dreams, conform and settle for soul-sucking jobs in order to make money. If they do choose to do what they love, they think they have to conform to the standard way of doing things or settle for not making any money and barely getting by.
It breaks my heart because I know that they CAN make money doing what they love and being themselves; if they would just go for it and believe that it can happen and trust that there are plenty of people out there who will buy what they are offering.
My revolution is: Making money doing what you love while being 100% you in your full freaky glory! No settling or conforming!
I want you to pursue what interests you, do your own thing and own that special something –something that only you can share with the world. The goal is to be excited about what you’re doing and loving what you offer.
Love it! Own it! And fly that freak flag high and proud!
Is this a revolution that you want to be part of?
It’s your turn- What’s your revolution all about?
Remember-your revolution is personal. Think about what your journey in life has been about, what you have to learn and what you feel compelled to share. Who cares if 100 people are already talking about the similar thing! No one can do it like you.
Unfurl your freak flag!
Share what you come up with in the comments below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you need any help figuring out your revolution-sign up for an Unfurl Your Freak Flag Session!
Unfurl Your Freak Flag Sessions are 90 minutes of you and me time on the phone talking about all the ways you can make more money by bringing all of you into your biz. We’ll talk about your revolution, eliminating competition, standing out and shining, and rallying up the folks who are excited about giving you money. When we are done, you will have some clear strategies for unfurling your freak flag and flying it high and proud so you can make some real money!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Do You Stand For?
Posted by: | CommentsThis month I’m part of a really cool program called the Morning Whip. I’m in the process of fine tuning my biz to focus on working with non-conforming entrepreneurs who want to eliminate completion, stand out and shine, and make more money by flying their freak flag.
Since I know I’m very easily distracted by shiny things- the Daily Whip seemed like the perfect solution. I’m happy to say that it is totally working!! I’m so clear on what my next steps are and I feel like I’ve gotten some serious momentum going now. Yay!! Plus I’m meeting some really cool women.
One of the assignments is to get crystal clear on your view point and revolution. Both pieces are essential because they allow you to take a stand for what you believe in and what you offer the world. This is crucial because the clearer you are on what you stand for and what you offer, the stronger the signal you’re sending out to the Universe- the faster the Universe will send opportunities to do it your way.
Your view point and revolution are unique to you. They are part of your freak flag, and when you wave it high and proud, it makes it really easy for the people who resonate with what you are offering to find you and buy from you.
Your view point is what makes you special, unique and different. It’s what you know to be true and feel passionate about. It’s the thing that drives you and the wisdom that you live by.
Your revolution is what pisses you off, what you see that’s missing and what you’re going to do about it.
This is such an important piece for entrepreneurs, especially if you are a coach, healer or other life transformation expert. This is the piece that will differentiate you from all the rest so that you don’t get lost in the crowd.
Do you know what your point of view and revolution is?
This is what I’ve come up with for mine.
My View Point
I am here to be fully self-expressed and create my life anyway I want too and you are too! We are both here to fly our freak flags high and proud and spend our time doing things that feel totally kick-ass.
I’m responsible for all my OWN outcomes and happiness…just like you.
There is no reason to stay stuck in any situation that feels sucky…EVER!!!
When I am fully self-expressed, taking 100% responsibility for my own life and doing what feels best to me; my life is totally kick-ass and I’m tapped into my ever abundant flow.
Mmmmmm….that feels good to think about!
My Revolution
It makes me crazy to see amazing, talented musicians, artists, healers and coaches struggling to survive and feeling like they need to give up their dreams and settle for a crappy job in order to be successful and make money!
Settling sucks!
Sure you might make some money if you go back to that soul-sucking job you used to have, but what about the quality of your life and your desire to be self-expressed and do what you love?
Giving up and conforming is not the way to go! Success lies in the opposite direction………..
The way to be successful is to stand out and shine by bringing more of you into your biz! Think about it. The most well known successful people got that way by doing their own thing. Oprah, Steve Jobs, Madonna, Sir Richard Branson, and Donald Trump all followed their dreams and played by their own rules. They are innovators. They did what they wanted to do the way they wanted to do it.
My revolution is showing musicians and entrepreneurs that the way to make money is to be full self-expressed and to fly your freak flag high and proud.
Be yourself-do what you love-own your talents-do things your way-stand out and shine!
Doesn’t that sound way better than settling and conforming?
I’d love to hear what your view point and revolution is! Share away in the comments down below.
