The other day I was provided some beautiful words that were designed to inspire from a leader at Ladies Who Launch.  It was a list of ‘10 Great Things to Remember’.  And I read the passage a few times because each line gave me pause for thought.  But I kept stumbling on the second line which read, “The success of perseverance”. 

I could not help but laugh at that when I read it because I often ask myself, “Am I doing all this work for nothing? Are my dreams just that?  When do you know when it is time to move on?”   

Can anyone answer that?  I truly am looking for answers.  You often read about the 12 year path to ‘overnight success’, and that is usually the attitude I take when working to grow my business.  But there are times when I can’t help but ask, “Am I just chasing my tail?  Am I really just a gambler disguised as an entrepreneur?”  

When I find myself pondering these questions, I have found it useful to slow down and analyze my work to make sure that I am truly seeing the big picture and am taking optimal steps towards the ultimate result.  So often we can get wrapped up in the minutia and before you know it, that is how one can spend most of their time.  Yes, those kinds of days are necessary but it is also critical to check yourself to make sure that some of the steps you take are focused on bigger items.  So in other words, don’t always be the ‘worker bee’.  Make sure you have CEO days as well.   

I also find it useful to check my instincts, to follow my intuition.  Whether that is the right thing to do or not, only time will tell but I do know that it gives me confidence and lifts me up.  Not to mention, when I don’t follow my gut, it just doesn’t feel right.

So here’s to perseverance (unless someone else has a better idea).

Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of energy and hard work and when first starting out, it is easy to stay motivated and somewhat focused.

But what if your growth doesn’t always go as planned, how do you stay motivated?  How do you find the energy within your inner soul to continue giving something 200%?

Another question is, “How do you capture and sustain the energy and inspiration you felt at a meeting or event when the next day, life gets in the way? 

These are both common situations I see with the numerous female entrepreneurs that cross my path.  And I have often felt that same way and am looking for answers so I can share the wisdom.

What I find that often works for me is to call upon my support group of other like-minded women.  Just their mere presence alone can boost me up - probably because I can pick up on their positive energy.  Having such a support group is also helpful for obvious reasons - the sharing of ideas and the passing along of energizing and uplifting words.

But the point that I am making is that we should not call upon this group only in time of need.  We should make it part of a regular routine in which we reach out and connect with these other like-minded women.  This way, we can sustain the energy level and perhaps never dip down so low that it becomes difficult to pick up the pieces.  

So find yourself a support buddy of like-mind and make it a point to connect with her on a routine basis- not just when the chips are down.

The other day, an article in Oprah caught my eye.  It was on her back page series, What I Know for Sure, and her comment really struck me hard.  Her comment was, “When your life is on course with its purpose, you are your most powerful”. 

Wow, I could not have said it better myself.  (Well, actually she said it better than I ever could and that’s why she is Oprah.)  I too find it fascinating when lists of “Most Powerful People” are measured by fame, status and wealth.  I know so many powerful women and none of them will ever make a published list based on the criteria sited above.  But they ARE powerful and it’s because they are fulfilling their purpose, with meaning.

It is this same message that I often teach in my workshops to female entrepreneurs.  Follow your passion.  Yes, you may stumble along the way, but you will not fall.  There is nothing more powerful than a woman who has found her gift and she is using it in a meaningful way. 

Unfortunately, many never get to pursue their passion.  Life simply gets in the way.  Not to mention, sometimes it is hard figuring out what your passion is.  But what I do know is that if you feel empty and you are starving to find out what your passion is, then go on a discovery search.  You will probably be amazed at what you will find and you will never regret it.  This pursuit does not have to take up your entire time but you do have to take the time to pursue it.

Haven’t you ever met a person whose life is on course with its purpose?  Sure you have, and do you remember what it’s like to be with them?  It’s inspiring and uplifting. 

Now it’s your turn.  Turn on the power.

Over the past 48 hours, the theme of fear and how it keeps you in your comfort zone has come up multiple times by different people.  Is someone trying to tell me something? 

For instance, I was at a Ladies Who Launch meeting in Columbus, OH (www.ladieswholaunch.com/Columbus) and the speaker, Suzie West of Collier West (www.collierwest.com), talked about her experiences and growth as an entrepreneur and the topic of fear came up.  Yes, it is common to be scared as an entrepreneur.  But do not let that alone stop you from moving forward.  In fact, if one was never afraid, then more than likely you are playing it too safe.

Flash forward to the next night and I was facilitating a Ladies Who Launch Incubator in Cleveland (www.ladieswholaunch.com/Cleveland) and one of the participants read an excerpt from a webinar she attended that day by Stephanie Frank (www.stephaniefrank.com).  The topic was 7 Critical Factors that Block your Profits and Destroy Your Passion and what do you think was the #7 factor?  Fear and the fact that fear keeps you in your comfort zone.  And as Stephanie stresses, just remember that ACTION TRUMPS FEAR.  

Ironically enough, before I attended Suzi’s presentation, I was asking myself why I am not moving forward with my marketing strategy for Bella Strada Studios (www.bellastradastudios.com).  I know what I need to do but for whatever reason, I am not embracing it with the all-out energy and enthusiasm that I usually bring to the table.  And it wasn’t until after both meetings did it dawn on me that I am afraid.  ”I don’t know all the answers and I don’t know if my plan is going to work so let me sit back and think about it for a while.”  Well, forget that!  I need to act if I am going to move forward.   

And I remember feeling this way before and there is so much truth in the statement that action trumps fear.  So for those who find themselves frozen by fear in their quest to pursue their passion, I have a suggestion.  Take many baby action steps.  It will push you but you will be in somewhat of a comfort zone.  And the best part is that many baby steps equals one LEAP.

I would love to hear your suggestions on how to break through your fear so you can move forward. Please comment so that we can all continue to move forward on our beautiful path.

I completely forgot that women have a bad reputation for not supporting each other.  Isn’t that funny how our mind works? 

But the other day a woman’s comment reminded me of how bad some girls can get.  I was at a networking event and these women were commenting on how great it is when women support each other and how powerful that movement can be.  And then one woman commented how much she hates it when women are vicious behind other women’s backs.

I have to say, that comment shocked me.  I am fortunate that I have learned to surround myself with only supportive women.  Not only is that true through my work as a Ladies Who Launch leader but I also feel this way about the friends that I made when I was working in corporate America as well as the friends that I have made living a life with kids. 

Some of this is due to my own manifestation but probably a lot of this is due to me following my instincts and just being me.  If no one likes me at face-value, then our friendship was not meant to be.

So not letting this comment quiet down in my head, I could not help but ask the question, ‘Why are there women who are, well, let’s just say, less than supportive?”  And I think I know the answer.

It is so much easier to be supportive when you are happy.  You’re feeling good about yourself and you want to spread the cheer.  On the flip side, when you are unhappy and filled with negativity, you can resent others and this can play out through gossip and back-stabbing behaviour.

So I have a solution: all women who find themsleves unhappy, go launch something.  Start a project, launch a business or pick up a hobby.  Start something from nothing.  And I guarantee, you will have more self-esteem, feel better about yourself and find yourself supporting other females.

It is scary launching a business, whether you’ve been in business for years or are just starting out.  But don’t let fear stop you from moving forward.  Just remember, if it were easy, then either you or someone else would have already done it.

And don’t fool yourself.  Fear comes in a number of disguises, mostly unveiling itself as a reasonable excuse.  If you ask any successful entrepreneur if they’ve ever felt fear, they would give you a resounding ‘YES’, and they would go on to explain that they had no other choice but to push through it and develop a strategic course of action. 

As women, our list of excuses can be endless and totally acceptable…. husband, kids, work, etc.  But don’t let the face value of the excuse convince you that your actions are justified.  Analyze your excuses, and be honest with yourself regarding whether or not the excuses are real or if it is fear that is stopping you from moving forward.  Only you can truly answer that question.

Now why didn’t these entrepreneurs have a choice but to push through their fear?  Because of their passion and drive.  No one was forcing them to take action.  And fortunate for us ladies, women are innately passionate creatures.  In fact, the number one reason for why women start businesses is to follow their creativity and pursue their passion.

Another top reason for why women go out on their own is for freedom and flexibility.  We are multi-taskers, we prefer to take on a lot.  And it stands to reason that we are happiest when we are intertwining our launching efforts with our life because we need that flexibility to address all the important elements of our life on a consistent basis.

So do yourself a favor and if you have a need to launch but ‘life is too busy’, just ask yourself how strong your desire is, and you will then know your answer.  After that, remember the wise words of Eleanor Roosevelt when she said, “Do something every day that scares you”.

This post is not about what you think it is.  By now, I am assuming that you know how to pick your friends and how to limit your time with those who suck all your energy.  What I want to talk about is how it is important to make sure you consistently surround yourself with the various types of friends that you have.

Because women are so busy and seldom have time to spend with friends, when we do take the time for ourselves, we of course go to the friends that we are most comfortable with and are easy to tap, especially those that are geographically close to us since we are social animals and love face to face interaction.

However, what I discovered, or should I say, was reminded of at my Ladies Who Launch Leader training was the importance of surrounding yourself with friends that address all the critical energies within you.  Let me explain.

I have great friends who I spend time with.  All of them are moms who are fun, intelligent and generous in spirit.  But most of them are not entrepreneurs. But that’s okay because I am fortunate enough to lead Ladies Who Launch Incubators in Cleveland, and through these Incubators, I am surrounded by those who are passionate about their business and are entrepreneurial in spirit.  But what I realized at training this week is the fact that I have been ignoring my fellow Ladies Who Launch leaders.

Now this was not by design but just a result of my limited time resource.  Regardless, it is unacceptable and not healthy.  I can’t even begin to tell you the invaluable tangibles and intangibles I gained these past two days by befriending my colleagues. 

Wow, what a powerful reminder that I have groups of people in my life that are important to me and I should always make an effort to keep in touch with all of them on a consistent basis.  So as my title suggests, check your friends.

Being the natural caretakers that we are, women often put themselves and their needs last.  But guess what?  In the long run, that really doesn’t help anyone.  You are no good to anyone if you don’t take care of your health, both your physical and mental well-being. 

It makes common sense that part of a healthy mental attitude is high self- esteem, but did you know that tapping into your creativity and launching a business or project is a critical element to high self-esteem?    

Many women find themselves happiest when they are moving forward, when they are creating something.  Without an outlet for creativity, a woman can be frustrated or even sad and/or depressed. As a fundamental part of the feminine spectrum, “launching” – getting anything off the ground—is a release of creativity that is essential to the female psyche. Launching not only makes a woman feel good, often it provides them the freedom and flexibility that they desire in their lives.

And guess what ladies?  In order to launch, we sometimes have to put ourselves first.  So go back, revisit your New Year’s resolutions and make sure that you include releasing the innate creativity that is in you. 

Although launching can be exhilarating for some, for many of us, launching a business idea or a change in lifestyle can be scary.  However, if you surround yourself with like-minded women, other women who are launching, the process can be fun and mind-expanding all at the same time.  There are a handful of women organizations that you can join, but I personally recommend Ladies Who Launch.  Yes, I am a Leader for the organization, but what I like most about Ladies Who Launch is that we all treat each other the same, whether or not we are just starting out or we’ve been a success for years.  It’s because one of the areas that the organization focuses on is tapping into your own creativity to get the most out of your efforts.  But left on our own, this is very hard to do. 

Unfortunately, our action-oriented society can stifle one’s creativity. Thus, it is critical for women to do something for themselves even if it means removing themselves from the computer, tearing up ‘to-do’ lists and detaching from other action-focus parts of their lives. Although this may sound self-indulgent, successful launchers agree that taking time for self is essential for a woman’s well-being.   

If you are a woman who is passionate about an idea or project, then go ahead and launch it. Act on that business idea, expand your business, take that photography class. It is good for you, your self-esteem and your health and happiness.  But remember, this means that once in awhile, you will have to put yourself first. 

Last night at my Ladies Who Launch workshop, unsolicited, more than half the group brought quotes to share that inspired them.  Ironically enough, so did I.  Not sure what was in the air but we all got the same message.   

So of course I have this need to share with you quotes of all sorts, quotes that are meant to inspire the female entrepreneur (and possibly the male counterpart).  Many of these quotes speak to the feelings that are intrinsic to all of us, other quotes are simply meant to inspire us, and others are meant to help justify our actions.  You can be the judge whether or not you think the latter applies to you.     

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Take time to ponder and apply where appropriate.

‘Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes’ - Oscar Wilde           ‘Do one thing every day that scares you’ - Eleanor Roosevelt          ‘Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do.  Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong’ - Ella Fitzgerald         ‘Adventure is worthwhile in itself’ - Amelia Earhart      ‘Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work’ - Bette Davis    ‘The shell must break before the bird can fly’ - tennyson    ‘There is no set path.  Just follow your heart’  - unknown    ‘Leap and the net will appear’ - zen saying    ‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!  Live the life you’ve imagined’ - Thoreau     ‘Never, never never give up’ - attributed to Winston Churchill