To Build or Not to Build...

Have you ever noticed, that when things go wrong, and you're in a hurry - thinks KEEP going wrong? You hit all the red lights...you spill coffee down your shirt...you forgot the ONE thing you actually needed for the day at home.

This same condrum can also happen on the 'good'side. As good things start happening in your world, you breeze through traffic, you're always on time, you feel like you can listen and be heard in all your meetings and coversations...more and more good things build more an more momentum!

If you're like me, you're more partial to the 'good' side of that equation, you want to build a following that inspires and continues to snowball in a good way! I call this "Building A Following" and I believe that we all want to build a following of one kind or another - for our businesses and for our careers, for our families and even for our new ideas and to support our dreams...

Patti Keating's "5 Tips to Build Your Fan Club" is another take on building a following - scroll down, check out her article and see what resonates with you for building YOUR following.

To continued joy and success on your Journey,
Emily

Emily K. Hanka, MA,
Holistic Business Consultant and Intrinsic Coach(R)
Journey Consulting and Coaching


And then GO AHEAD and build, baby, build!


5 Tips To Build Your Fan Club
By Patti Keating

One of the questions my clients ask is how to get people to notice them in the midst of the millions of marketing messages that zips past us everyday. Grabbing someone's attention requires more than a glitsy website and a catchy message.

You must understand EXACTLY who your customers are. You have to feel their pain and offer solutions to them that solve their problems.

Check your marketing plans against these 5 tips. Fill in whatever is missing or needs a boost, and create your own raving fan club!

1. Identify the values and characteristics of your perfect customers. What do they hold in high regard? Make a list of everything your customers want, that you provide. Make sure the items on your list are high priority items for them. People invest in what they value. Make sure your target market values what you offer. If not, you may want to switch markets, or fine tune your offerings.

2. Let your IDEAL customers say "yes"! When marketing your services talk about the benefits of what you do. Use emotion and feelings to describe the results people receive. Don't waste time explaining your services. No one cares about the materials used to make their car when they are off to a family occasion or fun night out on the town. They want the ride to be smooth. Talk about smooth rides rather than belted radials.

3. Give your customers want they want from you. Be who they expect you to be. Show them the side of you that motivates and encourages them to work with you. Be the person they expect to receive the highest quality experiences from. Let them see beyond your marketing and give them a glimpse of your personality.

4. Amplify your strengths to really stand out in the crowd. What are those natural strengths and ability that you take for granted. This is where your gold lies. What your strength's are is less important than you understanding them and using them to help others! Are you a natural at problem solving? Can you see solutions in unique ways? Maybe you have an eye for talent. Whatever you are great at, plug into it and use it to provide your own unique skills as a service.

5. Do one thing that is big, bold, and beyond what you thought you could do. What would your customers like to see from you, that you would love to grow into, yet have not yet had the courage to say yes to? Go for it. Think big and be big. Everyone loves courage. Talk about it on facebook, twitter and in your ezine! Let the word spread about your latest courageous leap!Spruce up your marketing with these 5 tips and watch your fan club grow!

Patti Keating publishes the award winning ezine “Focused Intentions” filled with hot tips and free tools to help you grow your business quicker than you may have thought possible. If you are ready to increase your income, create your ideal business and experience personal freedom... get your FR*EE tips now at http://www.intentionscoaching.com/

5 Ways to Create Meaningful Experiences With Your Customers

5 Ways To Create Meaningful Experiences With Your Customers

1. Respond Immediately

Celebrate their decision to invest in you. When a customer decides to use your products or service let them know that you are excited to share your wisdom with them. If they make the purchase online give them an immediate thank you and a sneak peak at what they will receive. When I coached individual clients I sent out their prosperity plan, empowering language document, and values list the moment they signed up even though we sometimes would not meet for weeks. It gave them a taste of what was coming and got them involved in the experience of being a coaching client. What can you give your clients and customers the moment they say “YES”?

2. Make It Personal

Personalize your responses to them. Know their names and recognize them. Tell them you appreciate them. Customize your emails to include their names. Call them by name when you speak to them and ask about their children, pets, or a project, whatever you know is special to them. To quote John Maxwell “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

3. Ask Them What They Want

Let them know you care about them and their needs. Ask your customers to identify their biggest challenges, what stops them, what areas do they most need support, and where do they really shine! Not only will you create more meaningful relationships, your customers will tell you what products and services they will buy from you! When you deliver what they ask for your clients will adore you!

4. Give Them Gifts

Everyone loves a little extra gift. I have purchased more than one lipstick or eyeliner to get that “Gift with Purchase” set. Give a little extra bonus when they buy. Giving them an extra info product when they opt in to your ezine or teleseminar is also is a great way to create memorable customer experiences. Send them birthday cards (or write on their Facebook wall) Everyone likes to be recognized and appreciated with a gift.

5. Share your Secrets

My 10-year-old son LOVES to hear stories about my childhood and the activities and antics I was up to when I was his age. The juicier the better! I tell him the secret feelings I experienced behind the story. He lies frozen in time and wide eyed next to me as I reveal my soul. I’m talking about a 100lb linebacker who is tough to stop (other than at meal time.) It got me thinking. If I can captivate his 10-year-old attention, maybe my customers would like to know more about the “behind the scenes” secrets too! Let your clients know how you felt when you were learning what you are teaching them. They will love you for it and feel more connected and less critical of themselves.

The point is… by giving a little extra you will create long-term relationships in your business and personal life. As you give more in the world, the world gives more back to you and in the process everyone is elevated. Our world blooms and transforms before our eyes. This is the path of Conscious Wealth.

©2009 -2010 Patricia Keating LLC

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? See Patti’s blog

Mindset Mentor Patti Keating publishes the award winning ezine “Focused Intentions” filled with hot tips and free tools to help you create wealth in ALL areas of your life. If you are ready to increase your income, create your ideal business and experience personal freedom get your FREE tips now at www.intentionscoaching.com

Emily K. Hanka, Holistic Professional Coach, certified Intrinsic ® Coach, Holistic Business/Organizational Coach, Health Coach

New Study Reveals Meaning Trumps Money...Significance for Life and Work?

New Study Reveals Meaning Trumps Money...Significance for Life and Work?
(See also, original post by Barb Reindl)

In the face of transitions and obstacles, large and small, there are some major themes that many of my clients - individuals or businesses - revisit over and over:

• Feeling in limbo/not knowing what direction to go
  
• Wanting to do/be something that matters
• Wanting to make a difference, belong and be important in the world.
  

Out in January 2009, the MefLife Mature Market Institute (MMI) released a new groundbreaking study entitled: Discovering what Matters; Balancing Money, Medicine, and Meaning. MMI applied a market research approach to the philosophical concept of "purpose" based on the work of Richard Leider and his best-selling book with co-author David Shapiro, Repacking Your Bags.

The study found the "Purpose Matters" " Regardless of age, gender, financial status, or life stage, the majority of people assign the most importance to Meaning-related activities and, above all else, spending time with friends and family. "

However, the study did clearly show that priorities change with age. So, for those of still in midlife, who want work we love, but also want work that financially supports the life we live, it is quite expected that we will wrestle with whether it is still important for us to pursue financial stability first, and purpose second.

The study does suggest otherwise….yes, even for those in mid-life, in-transition and self-empoloyed.

Please sign up as a follower to this blog to ensure that you hear more about this study and those like it!

If you want to see MMIs study summary and related workbook, here is that link!

Please comment to this post!

Ten Tips for Thriving in this Economic Winter

I've seen many lists of tips for growing through "these times" and I really appreciate this list from James Ray.

Wishing you optimum health, vitality and success,
Emily
________

Well, you asked for some quick, easy-to-apply tips on how to thrive in this economic winter and on how to apply the knowledge you learned during our conversation... So here you go!

1. Clearly define what inspires you.
   There's a big difference between taking action out of inspiration versus desperation. Use this season as an opportunity to hibernate into the recesses of your own mind and define what you choose to create in your next spring.
   
2. Control your focus.
   Energy flows where attention goes. Are you focusing on lack or opportunity?
   
3. Feed your mind.
   What's your constant mental diet? Do you spend hours in front of the scare news or are you reading good books, attending more positive seminars, watching uplifting DVDs and listening to powerful CDs?
   
4. Strengthen your body.
   Your physical health and vitality have a tremendous impact on your performance as well as your mental and emotional fitness. Exercise releases stress as well as strengthen your body and mind.
   
5. Inventory your friends.
   Doom and gloom attracts more doom and gloom. Jettison those "energy vampires" around you and surround yourself with opportunity seekers.
   
6. Quiet your mind.
   Take time to meditate daily and to slow down if only for a few minutes. Ten to fifteen minutes of meditation will relieve hours of stress and increase creativity and resourcefulness.
   
7. Rid your life of escapist activities.
   Overindulgence in TV, sleep and alcohol only accelerate the problems you're attempting to avoid.
   
8. Make a daily gratitude list.
   Focusing on all the good, gifts and God in your life puts you in the right line of thought, feeling and their subsequent actions, which will attract and create more good, gifts and God.
   
9. Change your attitude.
   Realize that everything that's happened in your life thus far is here to serve you, teach you and help you grow. Find the lessons in your past results, forgive yourself for anything you could have done better and apply the lesson to move forward and create a better future.
   
10. Get resourceful.
    For the next three days, go to a place where you can have uninterrupted time... Come up with 20 new ideas to grow your income, create new results and improve your life. You cannot leave your spot until you have twenty. And no editing! All ideas are good ideas. Do this for three successive days with 20 new ideas each day.
    
    Now take your list of 60 unique ideas and pick the three to five most powerful and leveraged ones to put into action. Pick these three to five based on: ease of implementation, rate of return and speed of return.
    

And so during this winter season, remember: It's not about resources... there are plenty of them. It's about resourcefulness. Get resourceful and get busy.

To your continued wealth and happiness,

James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International

Read full post

Emily K. Hanka, Holistic Professional Coach, certified Intrinsic ® Coach, Holistic Business/Organizational Coach, Health Coach

Achieving Ultimate Success

When you hear the word "success," what comes up for you?

What does success look like to you?

You might tell me success has everything to do with being financially wealthy. I would agree that financial abundance is a piece of being successful. And where else do you experience success in your life?

Consider success in,
-Your physical health,
-The health of your relationships,
-Your spiritual life,
-Your emotional and intellectual well-being.

Take a minute and jot down where you are experienceing success in your life right now.

Now, define what ULTIMATE success in your life would look like. Paint a picture in your mind and write down what success is to you:
-Physically
-Mentally
-Spiritually
-Relationally
-Financially

Make it specific and real in your mind - what is your ULTIMATE success in all areas of life?

REMEMBER: Success is a journey toward the life YOU choose. You will not "arrive" at some end-point of where you are finally "successful" because you are always growing, expanding and changing to be reaching to ever-greater heights.

Does this kind of self-work excite you? Propell you to continue reaching toward your dreams and your succes?

If so, join me for Open the Door - That's "IT"! - a workshop for women to discover what they truly want in one area of their lives and take it to the next leve. We are looking for any and all women who KNOW there is something more, who are FULL of positive energy, despite what may or may not be going on in their lives.

Join us - Tuesday, January 6th from 7-9pm in Edina at The Meta Institute.

Let's take it to the next level of TRUE wealth in all areas together.

Emily K. Hanka, Holistic Professional Coach, certified Intrinsic ® Coach, Holistic Business/Organizational Coach, Health Coach

Three Daily Success Habits that Transformed My Business...and My Life!

I recently read this article from Patti Keating and I want to share it with you!

As you read, pnder the following questions:
-What are you thinking in terms of your own habits?
-What are you wanting for yourself in creating successful habits?
-What is important to keep in mind going forward to implement successful habits FOR YOU?

E-mail me (emily@journeyconsultingandcoaching.com) with your insights and "ah-ha" moments - I'd love to write them up in a future blog entry and share them with clients and colleagues.


3 Daily Success Habits That Transformed My Business...and My Life!


Over the past several years I have immersed myself in personal development. My business is small business development and marketing. So most of the talks I give are on those subjects. But the more I explored personal growth and development the more I saw the connection between those small business owners who really take off a soar and the level of personal work they have done.

Why?

Your business will grow and expand in direct proportion to your willingness to grow and expand. Actually you must work harder on yourself than any other part of your business.

These are 3 Daily Habits I use that I learned on my personal growth path. I want to share them with you because they have helped to catapult my success.

1. Make Decisions Based Upon Who You Are Becoming Rather Than Who
You Are Now.

Once you know exactly what you want in your life, it's time to live from that place. This includes thinking, acting, dressing and most importantly feeling like the person who has achieved what you are intending. Study those who have reached your goal. Notice their confidence, their willingness to ask for what they want and to say no to what they do not want. Notice their generosity. Put these attributes in place in your own life and you will attract to you the very thing you want.

2. Surround Yourself With People Who Are Performing At The Level You
Want To Perform

Jim Rohn says that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. (Yikes!) Are you spending time with peole who are complaining about the weather and how broke they are? Add some new friends and peers to your group. Get out and meet people who are making things happen in the world. The best place to find them is at seminars and workshops. Successful people never settle for mediocrity. They invest in themselves and are continuously learning. You must also,. if you want to reach your goals.

3. Make Sure To Create Your Environments To Support Your Bigger Game

We always adapt to our environments. And our environments are always a reflection of who we are on the inside. This ongoing exchange powerfully creates our results. One quick way to expedite change is to makeover your environment. You can do this yourself with a quick check list or hire a professional organizer to assist you. Here is a sample of the check list I use. Once you have completed this test and cleaned up your environments, do a quick daily check in to make sure you are keeping yourself heading toward what you want!

Physical:
Is my car, home and office clutter free?

Are they a bold expression of who I am and the goals I have set for myself?

Do they pass the "I love it" test?

Consciousness:
Do I carefully filter everything I watch, read and listen to?

Have I let go of my limiting beliefs?

Do I have access to the information I need when I want it?

Self:
Do I know your unique talents and strengths?

Do I use them to reach my goals each day?

Am I authentic and confident about who I am?

Do I consider myself worthy to be loved, cared for and nurtured?

Body:
My clothing, hairstyle, eye glasses look great and reflect who I am.

My physical energy is high.

My body is strong and fit.

I am in excellent physical health.

The combination of these 3 simple success habits will help you stay focused on creating your business success and support you in living a joyful life!


E-mail me (emily@journeyconsultingandcoaching.com) with your insights and "ah-ha" moments - I'd love to write them up in a future blog entry and share them with clients and colleagues.

(c) 2008 Patti Keating
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patti Keating, is a Speaker, Success Trainer, and Mindset Mentor. To learn more about her and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://www.pattikeating.com


Emily K. Hanka, Holistic Professional Coach, certified Intrinsic ® Coach, Holistic Business/Organizational Coach, Health Coach