Born with the gift of hospitality, I fell in love with the art of leadership in my teens. Leadership is influence — nothing more and nothing less. As a small business owner, leadership can be the difference between a waiting list for your services, and happy, successful clients, or just eeking by.

Ask yourself, where are you headed? Who is following you? Are you going someplace worth following?
Sometimes it’s just a little tweak, sometimes it’s a major overhaul of where you are but change is part of being a small business owner.

Unfortunately, many people aren’t sure where to start. Through my years of working with success minded entrepreneurs, I’ve narrowed it down to 7 key areas to guide unprecedented success. I’ve seen so many businesses try and fail, but with a simple refocusing onto these 7 steps, lives have been changed. Failure to have these 7 areas in place will cost you up to 21 hours a week, and tens of thousands of dollars a month. Can you really afford that?

1. Create a Written Plan

Know what you want and why you want it. Then, write it down!

2. Know Thy Personality

Be aware of your strengths and understand how your personality affects what you want and the process of getting it. Identify the 5 traits that are your strengths and what make you uniquely you AND identify the 5 traits that get in the way of your success. If you aren’t sure, ask someone close to you what they would change about you if they could. You may be surprised. Then, choose one action that you will work on to move you towards being the best version of you.

3. Create powerful Partnerships

Invest in what you do best and network the rest. Create powerful partnerships through shared interactions. Create a board of advisors who can help you see the blindspots you might be missing or the strengths you need to tap into.

4. Presence

Understand how your physical image affects getting what you want. Hire someone to help you look great, even if you think you already do. Be present to life’s miracles, lest you miss out on living your life to the fullest. Have an attitude of gratitude and be grateful for the challenges as well as the opportunities. And, choose to be kind over choosing to be right. Employ the 15-second rule.

5. Set Your Priorities

Identify where you are spending the best hours of your day and ensure that you are in alignment with your values. Are you REALLY walking your talk? Your priorities will reveal what you truly value.

6. Chart Your Progress

Evaluate! Evaluate! Evaluate! Examine your P&L statements, and spend time identifying what is working and what is getting in the way.

7. Invest in Personal/Professional Development

Life-long learning is critical to your success. Leaders are readers, and learners are earners. What will you do to further develop who you are to get you closer to your definition of success?

In a changing world, what are you investing in or doing differently ensure that you get the results you want in business and in life?
May you experience incredible success as you choose to lead yourself personally and professionally in a manner that inspires others to do the same!

Lisa Marie Platske, creator of the Leadership Success Summit

About the author:
Lisa Marie Platske, President of Upside Thinking, Inc and creator of the Leadership Success Summit is an award-winning entrepreneur and dynamic inspirational speaker/trainer, known for her contagious high energy. In addition to conducting seminars throughout the U.S., she works one-on-one with coaching clients on her “Gateway to Greatness: Million-Dollar Make-over” 7-step leadership process. Client results include tripling their income, and up to 3 “extra” hours in their day. She is the author of Designing Your Destiny: Achieving Personal and Professional Success which has been hailed as “life-changing” by clients and colleagues alike. Her most recent book, Connection: The New Currency was released in August 2011. Visit Lisa Marie live by attending the annual Leadership Success Summit and put her 7 Pillars to work in your business and life.

How people learn will impact what you offer and how you sell your services. Take this quick survey and sign up to get the results back

As more and more small business owners are leaning towards “on demand” everything (music, movies, books) to download/stream instantly, I’m noticing some changes in the way that small biz owners like to learn.

The ground is shifting very quickly when it comes to education and the delivery of training materials and information.

I’m teaming up with Karyn Greenstreet to find out exactly which ways you like to absorb new content, learn new skills, acquire new knowledge to help you run your business.

We’re asking small business owners to take this quick, 2-minute survey with three easy questions.

But even 2 minutes is a lot when you’re busy, so we’re making it irresistible by offering you some practical, helpful educational bonuses, just for completing the survey.

Can I ask you the favor of taking just 2 minutes from your schedule today to take our survey?

Click here to take the 2 minute survey

Thank you for your help!

P.S. The survey is confidential. Karyn will be creating a summary report of the findings, but will not include any private details of individual people in her report. Just thought you’d like to know.

Double Rainbow spotted on a lonely stretch of I-5

Gratitude is one of the most powerful paths to happiness there is. Look for things to be grateful for and you’ll become intoxicated with a wonderful feeling that puts life and the world into perspective.

I’m very fortunate to have the business I do and owe a huge amount of thanks to all of the people who’ve mentored me, masterminded with me, hired me, referred business to me, invited me to speak, sent heartfelt emails, asked for advice, taken that advice, transformed their lives, transformed others’ lives, and made a huge impact on the world through the work we do.

I have a secret to making gratitude come easily in your business: plan your business to revolve around your genius work.

Your genius work is the thing you do that is so easy and effortless, you sometimes feel surprised that people actually pay you to do it. You figure if it’s so easy for you, it must be easy for anyone. Not true at all. In fact, the more you focus on staying in your genius work, the happier you’ll be in your business and gratitude will flow.

Here are some tips on how you can structure your business so you’re focused on your genius work AND able to stay in a state of gratitude because your business is just so damn cool nothing could get you down.

1. Know Your Ideal Client

The easiest way to fall out of gratitude is to work with people who don’t appreciate or value you. I’m sure you’ve had the experience where you’re working with some negative Nelly who makes you feel like a worthless sack of you-know-what. You think it’s something about you, something you’re not doing enough of. You end up resenting that person, wishing them a most unglamorous demise in your secretest thoughts, grimacing when they appear in your inbox. You can erase that entire scenario by getting crystal clear on knowing who your ideal client is. Watch the video I have on this page to get the quick and easy way to filling your business with ideal clients. Believe me, it’s worth saying “No” to the wrong match if it means saving you trouble and heartache.

2. Make Sure You’re Happy With Your Brand and Your Message

Nobody likes to feel trapped and if you’re walking around in a brand you’ve outgrown, then that will zap your happiness quotient. Maybe you want to rebrand or simply refresh your message, whatever you decide it’s crucial that you’re beaming hot happy about the public image you convey and the emotional imprint you leave on your market.

3. Money Is a Great Mood Lifter, No Matter What Anyone Says

I’m very grateful when money comes in, especially if it’s as a result of what I outlined in points 1 and 2. I know that when money comes into my business that 1) my genius work has paid off, 2) I’m attracting ideally matched clients and 3) my offers are resonating with my market. I’m one of those people who endorses my checks with the words “thank you” and a smiley face. When I pay bills and write checks, I add in a little “thank you” in the memo just to let people know I’m happy I can contribute to their well being. Yes, even when I feel gouged by taxes I still write a bit of gratitude on there and envision my money going to help build roads, keep libraries open, and pay teachers.

I’ve found that when I focus on my genius work and attracting great clients, offering top notch services, and charging what I’m worth then it’s very easy to maintain a dose of gratitude. Of course the down day still haunts me from time to time, but even if I find myself in a place of disquiet, I can find tiny little things to be grateful for that take me from the trenches of defeat back into the feeling of victory.

I hope that this message reminds you how much you can shape your own happiness by making great choices and staying in gratitude. Whether you’re reading this on Thanksgiving or another time of year, I wish you continued success, joy and prosperity with an eye on gratitude.

I’d love your comments on how you stay grateful in your business through thick and thin.

Another great day in the life...

Over the summer, I enjoyed an unprecedented amount of free time with my daughter. Getting her involved in a number of sports camps forced me to rearrange my schedule so I could shuttle her to volleyball camp, karate camp, surfing camp… plus a couple weeks out of town visiting with family.

It was a pretty intense schedule just on the Mom-front. But in the meantime, I had clients to serve and a business to run. What I want to emphasize is that it was a very profitable summer with money coming in and the bottom line staying healthy.

A longtime reader “Kris” (not her real name) wanted more info on how I did it. She sent me this note after getting my weekly ezine:

Nancy:

Thank you for sharing the photo of you and your daughter. I am so glad to see that you got to spend a lot of good time with her this summer. My daughter is turning 15 this month and I am so grateful for the summers I worked a 4 day week so she and I could do stuff together. I didn’t have my business running very effeciently then and frankly, my income suffered greatly. Still, I wouldn’t have traded those days for any amount of money.

Any tips and/or strategies you can share about how your income keeps flowing in regularly even while you have time to spend time with family would be much appreciated. Even now I find that unless I am doing a preview call and launching something new that the flow of revenue slows way down. I can see that the roller coaster ride of continuous launching may wear me out sooner than later.

Here’s my response:

Dear “Kris”,

I did the short work week well this past summer, but it wasn’t always that way. My old habit was to underestimate how long things take and that always got me in a bind. I remember a few years back doing my very first webinar… I got up at 4:30am to work on it, served my clients in the morning hours, presented my webinar in the afternoon, then worked into the evening to fine tune the video. Crazy! I was exhausted, running on fumes, and I never really LOVED what I created during that time. And I didn’t have enough hours in the day to enroll new clients so it became a very ugly case of launch and burn.

Over the years I realized that I needed a smart combination of strategies to keep the cash flow going. Here is a list of what’s worked best for me over the years to keep money coming in:

1. Don’t depend on launches to fund your life.
At least I don’t. There are too many variables involved, like if your competitors are also launching something at the same time, list burn out, etc. It’s smart to launch something at least every quarter, but don’t kill yourself making this your bread and butter. And trust me, it really can burn a person out (I speak from experience!)

2. Offer payment plans to your clients
If you have clients working with you over the course of several months, divide up their payments so they come in monthly installments. Many business advisors recommend you give incentives to get all the cash up front, but it’s funny how that money gets spent so fast. I personally enjoy getting that monthly flow in- it creates a sense of predictability with your cash flow. Be sure to get a back up credit card number in case their primary card expires or declines.

3. Bring in a certain number of higher end, private clients each quarter
It’s always smart to have a small number of higher end, private clients you work intensively with. You might offer an in person intensive, a virtual day, 6 months of monthly coaching… you and your client will find the best way to work together. But bringing in a certain number of private clients and keeping your eye out for ideal matches is another way to keep the cash flow coming in.

4. Make offers to your existing clients
The best “new” client is often your existing client. If you’re presenting a teleclass, find out who in that class would be a good prospect for the next program. People will want to move forward with you if you consistently show them that you’re a great resource to be with. Some people call this “upselling”, others call it progressive enrollment. Whatever phrase you use, it’s all about keeping your clients and continuing to mentor them through.

Thank you “Kris” for sharing your question and if anyone out there wants to add to this list of tips, feel free to chime in. Cash flow is a serious matter- without it, you’re no longer in business. With it, you’ve got the world as your playground.

Please share this post- your network will thank you for the reminders of what’s behind a successful business.

10 Essential Tips for Business Success

1.Stay Focused on Revenue Building Activities

I have nothing against chasing after bright shiny objects… just as long as they can monetize, open up new opportunities, and enhance your credibility. Whatever you’re doing, you must understand how it’s related to the bottom line. Whether it’s buying an information product, signing up with a mentor, or attending a live event, make sure you understand where the opportunities are.

2. Pick an area you’ll become expert in this year and use that to build revenue in your business.

Aside from your bread and butter expertise, it’s important to sharpen your revenue building skills in areas that can benefit you, your business, and your clients. Learn how to write killer web copy, get comfortable with selling, master follow up, become a networking wiz… find something to develop to a mastery level and, of course, keep it connected to revenue building.

3. Understand the ebb and flow of your energy, creativity, and connection to your talents.

Some months you’re hot, other months you’re not. That’s OK. You won’t stay stuck forever if you find yourself there. I’m on fire with creativity in Spring and Summer, then I hibernate in the winter. I know that about myself and can plan my business accordingly. Understand your seasonal high points and tap into your peak times for big launches.

4. Celebrate others’ successes.

Ever get an email from someone announcing their big success and you just seethe with envy? Well quit it. It’s not serving you in any way. There’s a win for you in other people’s successes if you look closely enough!
5. Celebrate your own successes!

I hear from a lot of people that they’re uncomfortable celebrating their own successes because they were taught not to brag. Here’s a great workaround: celebrate your success by sharing client success stories. Make sure you include how your mentoring, coaching, consulting, etc helped in this client’s success.

6. Take leadership!

As the owner of your business, you are the leader. Even if you’re working with a mentor or just starting out, you’re the leader and don’t need anyone’s permission to take action. Get feedback from colleagues or friends, but ultimately the decisions are yours.

7. Stretch yourself- try new things.

As soon as you feel you’ve achieved mastery in something, it’s time to stretch and learn something new. It keeps your brain sharp and your creativity on fire.

8. Maintain a positive attitude.

I don’t need to elaborate on this one, but what helps me the most is to focus on gratitude.

9. Ask for help when you need it.

When someone called me “Little Miss I Can Do It All”, I knew it was time to examine my ability to ask for help. During a personal crisis, asking for help was the only option I had. By reaching out, my clients got rock star treatment from some of the top names in our industry as they came to bat for me and filled in. Guest blog posts poured in and I was able to focus on the challenges at home.

10. Tend to your personal needs: physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological.

You’re better equipped to focus on revenue building activities when your human needs are taken care of. As a leader and a decision maker, you can’t afford to neglect your emotional, physical, spiritual and psychological needs.

Let these tips serve as a beacon for your business success. You’ll make more money, have staying power, and make the impact on the world you’re destined to make.

Please share your comments, share this post, and join in on the conversation.

My passion is to mentor heart-based entrepreneurs who are ready to step out in a bigger way and get more visibility. One of the most powerful ways to achieve this is to bring smart, results-focused business owners together in Mastermind Groups. Since 2004, my Mastermind Groups have supported soul-driven achievers with proven strategies, accountability, and a place to troubleshoot.

Gathering the right people for a Mastermind is key to a group’s success, so pay attention to the tips I share in this video (taken at one of my Profitable Essence Mastermind Retreats) and take action.

After my mini-workshop on creating a Mastermind, I took the camera around the room for some impromptu feedback from some of my Mastermind clients. The Profitable Essence Mastermind, a 12 month group of amazing service professionals, opens up for new applicants only twice a year- January and July.

The entry process is kinda old school- I prefer to have a conversation to see if it’s a good fit rather than send you to squeeze pages and teleclasses. The starting place to work privately with me in any capacity begins here: www.TalkWithNancy.com

Check me out, ask questions, and let’s see if it’s a good fit.

And now for your viewing enjoyment, some great tips on how to create a successful Mastermind Group! (Watch the 2nd video too… it’s an awesome montage of one of our Mastermind Retreats!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain

Not everybody has it easy, especially entrepreneurs. Revenue fluctuates, competition moves in, and sometimes you wonder if this whole gig is worth it.

To add to the torture, you see “successful” people in your industry publicly enjoying their riches with pictures on Facebook of their expensive cars, vacations, shoes, purses… and even the holiest and most grounded of you feel that tinge of resentment from time to time.

Come on… we can be honest here. It happens.

But you deserve a whole lot more than tailspinning into negativity, so let me give you 3 tips to keep your business afloat, your attitude strong, and money coming into your business.

I covered these on a free call which you can listen to for more details and all the drama of my vida loca.

But let me take you straight to the happy ending: despite major storms happening in and around my life, I broke all my sales records, made more money, held 2 profitable live events, and filled every program, mastermind, and class I held. Want to know how? Keep reading.

TIP #1: HAVE A STRONG SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION IN YOUR LIFE

I hold an unwavering belief in a Higher Power and decided long ago that this is the business partner I need for true success.

Learning to move into gratitude, unconditional love, and acceptance are all gifts of this commitment. What’s so amazing is that the more I turn things over to my Higher Power, the better things get in business and in life.

If you don’t have a spiritual foundation in your life, then you’re relying on your own limited thinking to get you through. I’m not going to advocate any particular faith or set of beliefs here. But choosing to surrender to something bigger than you and allow that to guide you is the hugest personal growth (and business building) step you can ever make.

TIP #2: Work with a Mentor

My Higher Power’s got my back, and part of that is leading me to great mentors.

I remember having a really slow period in my business. My husband was in and out of the hospital, the bills were pouring in, and I lost focus. I needed a big shot of cash badly and needed another perspective. Working with a mentor, I mapped out a plan to monetize without the need for a big launch, joint ventures, etc. Two days later I started making money. In fact, during one of the slowest months of the year, I made more than I’d ever made before. (Thank you Higher Power and thank you mentor!)

Hosting 2 live events in 2010 could NEVER have been done without the help of a mentor. Everything from finding the right event planner to how to pace the content were all things I ran past my mentor. And because I invest in mentoring that gives me access to a mastermind group, I get even more great input, connections, and troubleshooting from other high achieving entrepreneurs who also understand the value of investing in themselves.

I can’t emphasize this enough: if you don’t have a mentor, get one. Utilize the resources to the max and do the footwork.

TIP #3: Design Win-Win Services

It’s entirely possible to serve your clients fully without running yourself ragged or skimping on quality. Far too many service professionals have painted themselves into a service delivery corner simply because they didn’t know how to leverage their time and resources.

In the free call I held about this, I outlined how I’ve designed my Mastermind Groups so they’re a win-win for my clients and myself.

A Mentoring/Mastermind group is one of the most powerful and profitable offers you can have. Because of the connection to a motivated group of business owners, it can surpass private coaching in value, results, and connections.

This outline  highlights what Win-Win high level service looks like that provides massive value and doesn’t kill you. Borrow these ideas, try them out, or contact me if you’d like to be part of my next Mastermind. (My groups open in January and July and are limited to only 14 people).

• Private access. Private access to a mentor is becoming harder and harder to come by. I’ve designed my Mastermind so clients get private access and multiple touch-points with me. The best part is I’ve created this in a way that fully serves my clients and doesn’t burn me out or create the schedule from hell.

• Motivated Mastermind partners. For my Mastermind groups, I have clients fill out an application and go through an interview with me. This saves time and trouble on many fronts: first off, I can weed out potential problems. Second, I get to create groups with high synergy. Third, only the most committed and focused make it to the Mastermind. It’s the smartest step ever for creating groups.

• Focus on Results. I honor the creative and intuitive, but dollar and cents results are what keep us in business. I’ve had clients get 400 times their investment back from working with me, and grow a list by 1000% (no lie) in one week. By clearly defining a focus, it saves time and energy on all sides and keeps the group from becoming unfocused.
• Accountability, Support, Troubleshooting. One of the biggest benefits of a Mastermind is the built in accountability, support, and troubleshooting. When my clients and I meet for one of our Virtual Intensives (no travel!), or in-person retreats, it’s all about accountability, support, and troubleshooting. If you want to accomplish a revenue goal, you’ve got the support to make it happen. If you want to rebrand or launch a new program, you’ve got people to run it past. This is the single biggest reason why I’ve invested big time in mentors and it ALWAYS pays off.

Here’s what I suggest you do:

Look at your business and your life and make sure you have my 3 Tips in place: Spiritual Foundation, Mentor, Win-Win Design. If you don’t, start taking the steps needed.

One of those steps might be for you to join a Mentoring Mastermind program that attracts motivated, soul-driven achievers. If that sounds like you, then please contact me to discuss availability in my next Mastermind.

Because I limit my group to 14 people (and it will fill quickly), it’s important to take action on this right away.

Nobody’s life is perfect… but with the right resources in your life, you can survive both the good and the bad and come out a winner. Trust me… I know first hand!