Back-To-Business Networking Mingler (Sept 16)
September 2, 2010 by Master-User
Filed under PFW Events
Bring your passion – and your business cards – to our September mingler and to start your fall with some luscious inspiration!
Please join us for an evening of connections & networking and a fire-you-up speaker to help you get back to your business and support you in meeting your goals for 2010 with special guest speaker Pat Mussieux who will talk about the 7 Steps to Growing Your Business By Getting Out of Your Own Way. Well-known as “The Queen of Networking,” Pat has x-ray vision for seeing relationship-building opportunities and the creativity to convert them into clients! (please see full bio below).
- Complimentary hors d’oeuvres
- Please bring your business cards, positive attitude and desire to contribute!
In this presentation, Pat Mussieux will share with you the powerful mindset and marketing techniques that she has mastered over the past few years – that have taken her from ‘hell to happy’! You will come away with tangible, relevant, meaningful, easy-to-apply steps that you can use TODAY to help you:
- understand the No. 1 barrier to entrepreneurial success
- learn 3 easy ways to find money on the table, and
- learn the one thing you are NOT doing now, that you must begin today……in order to grow your business!
Pat will help to make it easy for you – so you can get out of your own way and grow your business, starting today!
About Pat Mussieux:
After 15 years of training executives at companies like Stantec, The Westin Hotel, Sherritt International and other private sector organizations, she left the corporate world and put her skills to the test as an entrepreneur. Having stepped in and out of her business for the past 20 years, Pat contracted with a millionaire business coach in 2009 to help make quantum leaps in her business.
In just 1 short year, Pat created a six-figure home-based business after having moved across the country, leaving her 22-year marriage with virtually nothing – and starting life over in a new city across the country. She is an undisputed expert on mindset and marketing, and how to make BIG money doing what you love!
Pat is the author of “The 7-Step Guide To Growing Your Business by Building Confidence and Courage”, teaching women entrepreneurs how to get their message out and enjoy massive results, removing the self-imposed barriers of habits, attitudes, beliefs and expectations! Recently, Pat was nominated for the 2010 RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Through her coaching programs and products, Pat shows her clients how to experience freedom inside and out and create the life they truly want to live, now! It’s a ‘no-excuses’ approach!
For more about Pat, please visit: http://www.confidenceandcourage.com/
Back to Business Networking Mingler
Date: Thursday September 16, 2010
Time: 7:30 pm-9:30 pm
Location: Mirage Bistro & Lounge; 117 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto
Please note that this event is open to all women (you do not need to be a member to attend).
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
Early-Bird Tickets by Sept 9th: $20
Regular Pre-Payment: $25
Cash at the door: $30
Daily Biz Tips
June 21, 2010 by Master-User
Filed under Daily Biz Tips, Your Fab Biz
Positive Fabulous Women is thrilled to have teamed up with Silver Lining Limited to help keep you inspired, motivated and taking action with your business! You can find daily tips, weekly videos and monthly articles here which discuss business topics relevant to anyone who wants their business to thrive and succeed. Check back daily to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
PFW Summer Sizzler – NEW LOCATION (June 15)
May 26, 2010 by Master-User
Filed under Past PFW Events
JOIN US FOR THIS AMAZING EVENT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A WEEKEND AT THE GRAIL LADY FAIR JULY 2-4, valued at $175 (see below for details)
Calling all Toronto women to join us for an evening of socializing, networking and positive fabulous connections!
This special evening will begin with some mingling & schmoozing as you unwind, sip your favourite cocktail and savour the delectable complimentary light hors d’oevres.
Enjoy a social atmosphere and positive vibes as you continue to build your relationships with like-minded and like-spirited women.
This is a great opportunity to touch base with friends and to form new connections (don’t forget your business cards). So feel free to bring along your friends and colleagues interested in growing their business, advancing their network or making new contacts.
Our guest speaker for this evening is Anne Dimon, CEO of Travel to Wellness Inc. She will reveal her journey as an entrepreneur, as well as the joys & challenges when traveling the globe as a respected travel writer/international spa journalist meets the 24/7 reality of running a business.
Anne will share with us how the idea was conceived during a nine-day, six-airline tour, the challenges of being a one-woman band, and why she recently went retro with the launch of a print version of the magazine. She’ll reveal the secrets to how her six-year-old website remains at the top of related searches, and the recent pivotal point decision she made to take the business to the next level. Lastly, how her reputation as a journalist has both helped and hindered and how she maintains editorial credibility when also trying to sell advertising.
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Anne Dimon has an enviable job. For close to 20 years she’s been traveling the world as a travel writer/columnist, spa and hospitality industry journalist and, currently, as editor-in-chief of TraveltoWellness.com. Her Toronto-based company Travel to Wellness Inc. owns the six-year-old premiere online wellness travel magazine and has recently launched a print issue.
Prior to her life as a journalist, Anne was director of PR at a major Toronto hotel then left to become president of her own public relations company. In her early career, she worked in broadcasting – radio and television – both on-camera and behind the scenes. Somewhere in there she also found time to create a line of travel fashions.
An avid runner and half-marathoner, she walks the talk and in 2006 was recognized by the Ontario Free-Tobacco Network for her contribution to the implementation of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act.
PFW Summer Sizzler
Date: Tuesday June 15, 2010
Time: 7:30 pm-9:30 pm
Location: Mirage Bistro & Lounge; 117 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto
AMAZING OPPORTUNITY! Join us for this event and have your name entered in a draw to win tickets for the Grail Lady Fair, an amazing women’s festival taking place at the Grail Springs Spa & Retreat in Bancroft, Ontario. It’s best described as “The Enlightened Woodstock for Women”. You get to immerse yourself in an experience of a lifetime, interacting directly with women on the leading edge of a movement: SPEAKERS, PERFORMERS & WISDOM KEEPERS! Participate in inspirational talks and workshops, traditional ceremony, drumming circles and so much more! Presenters for July 2-4 include: Pamela Gerrand, Vera Lopez, Madeleine Marentette, Claire Zammit, Lili Fournier, Alisa Starkweather, Tracy Pennington, Carol Mills, Bernadina Alvarez, Marcia Martin, Spryte Loriano, Deborah Jayne, Imani, Minnie Matouch, and more! For complete details about this amazing event, please visit: http://www.grailsprings.com/Events-Grail-Lady-Faire
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
Early-Bird Tickets by June 3rd: $20
Regular Pre-Payment: $25
Cash at the door: $30
Public Speaking & Contact Management Skills for Entrepreneurs (June 17)
May 25, 2010 by Master-User
Filed under Past PFW Events
FULL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE, SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS!
(Open to both men & women)
All three previous sessions have been over sold…find out why!
Once again, the feedback about this program has been just excellent and we have decided to bring Steve Lowell back one more time!
We have extended the session so that each person will receive more personal coaching, more practice time and far more value!
In this 6.5-hour training session you’ll improve your speaking, presentation and networking skills as a business professional.
This is a day that can change your business and your life!
- Learn a simple and fail-proof secret to grabbing and holding attention as a speaker or presenter.
- Engage any new contact into a conversation that will help them remember you for a very long time.
- Avoid the one BIGGEST mistake that almost everyone makes when meeting a new prospect or potential business contact.
This is a highly-charged, no bull, interactive session. You will be coached while speaking in front of the group and engaging your fellow participants in a safe, fun and supportive environment.
This session is for you if:
- You have always wanted to become a more effective speaker
- You build your business through networking
- You want to be cool and comfortable when conversing with someone you just met at a networking function or social event.
- You want to stand out among all your competitors in the networking world.
Due to the amount of personal coaching involved, we have to limit the number of participants to 14, so RSVP now to reserve your seat.
About the Presenter
This training workshop will be conducted by Steve Lowell, of the Ottawa-based, Lowell Workshops. Steve has over 30 years of training and experience as a professional speaker and performer. He shows you how to completely change the way you speak, present, interact and network so that you become a magnet, pulling others to you. Steve has a unique understanding of how the mind/brain works and what causes fear, anxiety and low self-image; all factors which hold so many people back from realizing their true power. For more about Steve Lowell, please visit his website www.lowellworkhsops.com
WHAT PFW MEMBERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE LAST SESSION…
“If you get nervous and uncomfortable speaking in public, you can’t miss out on this seminar!”…Suelen Loims
“It was exactly what I was looking for. Everything was great and I feel I took allot from it.”…Cara Keiller
“I really loved how hands-on and specific it was instead of a general speaking event. It’s an absolute must!”…Tetiana Chychota
“If you are nervous about being a public speaker, this course introduces great techniques to help you get up and speak with confidence.” …Filomina Costa
FULL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE!!! If, at the end of the session, you’re not 100% satisfied, you will receive a full refund of your investment.
Important — Please read before you register:
This is a highly interactive session which will require your full attention and participation. We want everyone to get the most possible value from the session so we ask for two commitments from you before you decide to RSVP…
1. You will be asked to stay until the end of the session, so please make sure that you have no pressing engagements which will require you to leave early.
2. You will be asked to turn your cell phone off (not on vibrate) so that you will not be compelled to go in and out throughout the session to take phone calls.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Public Speaking & Personal Contact Skills for Entrepreneurs
When: Thursday, June 17, 2010
Where: Megas Restaurant; 402 Danforth Avenue @ Chester, Toronto
Workshop will go from 10:00 am-4:30 pm, with a 45-minute lunch break.
Early-Bird: $97 by June 2; Regular Pre-Payment: $129
Sign-up Today!
SPICE up your Speaking! (June 18)
May 24, 2010 by Master-User
Filed under Past PFW Events
Have you ever been captivated by a sensational speaker? Ever wonder how they do it? Would you believe that YOU can do it to?
In this 4-hour seminar, you’ll learn secrets used by professional speakers to take their audiences on any kind of journey they wish!
Participants will have the opportunity to speak and receive coaching for 2 minutes each — but only if they wish to. Either way, by the end of this seminar you’ll know how to:
* Calm stage fright and get your nerves working for you instead of against you
* Use your body language for maximum impact on your audience
* SPICE up your talk or presentation
* Speak so that your audience feels your words instead of just hearing them
Even if you are mortified to get up and speak in public, at the end of this seminar, you’ll know more about effective speaking than about 99% of the people you see speaking at conferences, workshops and networking groups.
FULL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE!!! If, at the end of the session, you’re not 100% satisfied, you will receive a full refund of your investment.
If you have ever wanted to learn how to be a sensational public speaker…this is where you need to be!
About the Presenter
This training workshop will be conducted by Steve Lowell, of the Ottawa-based, Lowell Workshops. Steve has over 30 years of training and experience as a professional speaker and performer. He shows you how to completely change the way you speak, present, interact and network so that you become a magnet, pulling others to you. Steve has a unique understanding of how the mind/brain works and what causes fear, anxiety and low self-image; all factors which hold so many people back from realizing their true power. For more about Steve Lowell, please visit his Website.
________________________________________________________
SPICE up your Speaking!
When: Friday, June 18, 2010 10:00am-2:30pm (inc. a 30-min lunch break)
Where: Megas Restaurant; 402 Danforth Avenue @ Chester
Early-Bird: $39 by June 11; Regular Pre-Payment: $49Cash at the door: $60
Six Surefire Strategies to Build Your Brand Online for More Impact and Income in 2010
December 1, 2009 by Master-User
Filed under Your Fab Biz
In this age of new media and new marketing, the rules for marketing professional service businesses have changed dramatically. Yet, many women in service-based businesses are not keeping up with the times and may fall behind the leaders in their marketplace who are embracing the new media models to build their brand online.
Having a strong brand reputation is the key to making sales in the new economy. It’s never been so important for your brand to be highly relevant. Your brand is the one competitive edge you can offer that no one else can copy or duplicate.
Brand marketing trends for 2010 indicate that you need to have something highly interesting and relevant to say to build a brand that people will notice. You need to engage your community, build your platform, and include social media in your marketing mix.
Here are my six surefire strategies to build your brand online for more impact and income in 2010:
1. Publish a Blog That Positions You as a Leader in Your Niche
Publishing a blog is a great way to expand your visibility and attract a community of followers. And, it’s very easy and low cost to publish a blog. Starting a blog is a great way to find your voice as well as start to cultivate an audience base. Put the focus on your readers instead of on you. Offer solutions to your audiences’ biggest challenges and you’ll never be at a loss for content. Writing valuable and relevant information at your blog can position you as the go-to person in your area of expertise. You will be easily referable and people will line up to buy from you. To remain relevant, your message must be interesting and timely, communicate authority and an authentic personality, and indicate that you are connected and in the know.
2. Brand Your Brilliance and Your Purpose
Personality and purpose-driven marketing can be highly effective these days when it has become so hard to get people’s attention. The most effective personal brands are built around your strengths, expertise, passion, personality, and life purpose. A strong brand based on your unique brilliance can differentiate your offerings and create value-added client relationships which lead to sustainable client loyalty. What people want now is relevance, simplicity, authentic personality, honesty, imagination and inspiration. If you’ve been holding back on following your true purpose or heart’s desire in your business, or not saying what you really think and feel, now’s the time to get real.
3. Leverage Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is one of the easiest ways to effectively expand your reputation. You can use social media to position yourself as an expert, build your credibility, build relationships, and extend your reach. Social media can be a very powerful tool for business growth if you know how to use it wisely to build relationships and not just to promote yourself. To successfully leverage social media, become highly active at a few sites like Facebook and Twitter, or LinkedIn, rather than trying to keep up with multiple networks. Get to know and get known by your online community and virtual neighbors. Become a superstar, must read resource and source of inspiration on Twitter.
4. Build a Purposeful Platform to Amplify Your Brand and Your Message
Your brand platform is the image or impression you make in the marketplace. It’s the set of associations that clients make when they think of you and your services. It’s both what you stand for and what your marketplace perceives as valuable. It’s how you create distinctive value through the unique combination of your expertise, values, vision, passion, purpose and message. By following your passion and purpose, you can build a purposeful platform that feeds both your pocketbook and your soul. A powerful online presence is one that builds and extends your platform and positions you to become well know for your message. There are many ways you can do this: article and blog marketing, social media marketing, signature presentations and programs, press releases, and developing a line of information products, to name a few. The first important step of course is to choose a highly targeted niche m arket that is looking for solutions to problems that you have answers to.
5. Take Your Brand Viral with Video Marketing
Video marketing is hot. It’s the big key secret method to extending your reach globally and attracting more interested, pre-qualified leads quickly. A picture really is worth a thousand words! You can easily create short two minute video tips for your target audience to post at your blog, or a video of you outlining the benefits of your new program at your sales page, or record testimonials from satisfied clients. Upload your videos to a free video-sharing site such as YouTube. Video can quickly raise your visibility and exposure and spread your message virally across the internet.
6. Create Raving Brand Fans
People have so many complex brand choices today that they get overwhelmed and confused. You need to get a community of people really engaged to build a loyal following. Develop a marketing strategy that will give your target audience exactly what they want so you can attract a community of followers and “raving brand fans”. Find out where your community is. Find out what they like to read and who they follow. Build your connections, strategic alliances and audience base. Over time, people will start to trust your expertise and enjoy your style and will buy your services and products without you having to put a lot of effort into selling.
Times have changed in the web 2.0 world. The internet has leveled the playing field in vying for people’s attention. Online branding will give you an edge in the marketplace that will cause clients to think of you first when they need your type of services.
© by Jan Marie Dore of Femalepreneurs.com.
Jan Marie Dore mentors professional women to deliver their service, expertise and message in more leveraged ways so they can work fewer hours, impact more people and make more money. Get your free “Professional Women’s Success Kit” and other marketing resources at www.FemalePreneurs.com
THRIVE Mingler ( Jan 13)
November 8, 2009 by Master-User
Filed under Past PFW Events
As we head into the new year, many of us are looking at ways we can move our businesses & our lives forward to create real breakthroughs and explore new possibilities.
Would you like to thrive in 2010?
Carolyn Ellis, Certified Money, Marketing & Soul coach and founder of BrillianceMastery.com, will offer us her insights on how to unleash your brilliance — professionally and personally. She’ll lead us through some lively discussion and fun interactive activity where you’ll be able to breakthrough to a more powerful and confident You!
- Complimentary hors d’oeuvres
- Fabulous door prizes
Don’t miss out on this fun social evening that combines some great tips, tons of inspiration, fabulous networking and extra-ordinary connections!
About Carolyn Ellis
Success Strategist, coach and award-winning author, Carolyn B. Ellis, is the Founder of BrillianceMastery.com and ThrivePrinciples.com. Her Brilliance Mastery program supports women entrepreneurs to own their brilliance so the mission of their business can be communicated clearly, powerfully and profitably. She is the creator of the Unleash Your Brilliance Summit and a certified Money, Marketing & Soul Coach. She publishes “Bits of Brilliance”, a weekly e-newsletter that offers inspiration, wisdom and support for the woman entrepreneur or business owner who is committed to living her brilliance. For more information and to get a copy of her special report “The 7 Secrets to Unlocking Your Brilliance as a Woman Entrepreneur”, visit www.BrillianceMastery.com
THRIVE Mingler
When: December 9, 2009 7:30 PM
Where: Kokkino Resto-Lounge; 414 Danforth Ave.
Pre-Payment: $25.00 per person (Registered PFW Business Members: $20)
Cash at the door: $30
Get Your Tickets Today!
The 5 Key Secrets Every Woman Entrepreneur Needs to Know to Accelerate Business Growth and Thrive in This Changing Economy!
November 6, 2009 by Master-User
Filed under Past Community Events
A Breakfast Seminar Presented by Carolyn Ellis, BrillianceMastery.com & Jan Marie Dore, Femalepreneurs.com
The economic landscape is changing fast. The speed and scale of change is unprecedented. New responses are required to keep up as old style business strategies just don’t cut it any longer. Change is here to stay, and it will likely get more rapid and dramatic. The speed at which you make decisions is critical.
What are the keys to success that you as a women business owner need to have so you can thrive in this changing economy? Join us at the Verity Club, Toronto on Thursday, November 12th to find out!
In this seminar, you’ll learn important secrets and techniques so you can accelerate your business growth and not just survive, but thrive in this challenging, changing economy. You’ll understand how to redesign your business thinking, marketing strategies and daily activities so that you can emerge stronger and more profitable than ever.
You’ll leave this seminar knowing:
- The six principles to adopt a THRIVE mindset to change any situation of challenge or adversity into one of opportunity
- The one key change to make so you attract 100% of the right client
- Ways to really leverage your brilliance so you’ll have the freedom and income to live the lifestyle you really want.
- How to consistently turn more leads into clients, and more clients into lifetime customers.
- Powerful skills and techniques to convert “No” and “Let me think about it” into “Yes, when can I get started.”
A continental breakfast with coffee/tea will be served.
Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Location: The Verity Club, Downtown Toronto, Ontario
9:00am: Registration & continental breakfast with coffee/tea
Seminar: 9:30 to 11:30 am
Your Investment: $35US + GST
For complete details and to reserve your space please go to: http://www.femalepreneurs.com/seminar
About Carolyn Ellis
Carolyn Ellis is the founder of Brilliance Mastery™, a program that helps women entrepreneurs own their brilliance so the mission of their business can be communicated clearly, powerfully and profitably. Carolyn is the creator of the THRIVE Principles ™, founder of Thrive After Divorce, and the award-winning author of The 7 Pitfalls of Single Parenting: What to Avoid to Help Your Children Thrive after Divorce. Her free bi-weekly ezine, The THRIVE Guide, which offers practical and effective tools for living your greatest life is read by thousands of subscribers from around the world. Carolyn has a graduate degree from Harvard University, and is a Master Integrative Coach and Advanced PSYCH-K Facilitator. She lives in Toronto, ON with her 3 children. Her websites are BrillianceMastery.com and ThriveAfterDivorce.com
About Jan Marie Dore
Jan Marie Dore is The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach and the Founder of Femalepreneurs.com, an online community for entrepreneurial women worldwide who want to create a more profitable business and live a high-quality life. Jan Marie is an authority on small business whose passion is inspiring women to new levels of success and fulfillment through her coaching programs, teleseminars, workshops and retreats. She has made it her mission to teach women simple, effective modern marketing strategies to attract more customers and grow their business and profits substantially with much less effort. She offers the free report “The Eight Insider Marketing Secrets of Wealthy Women Entrepreneurs” and the ezine “Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs” full of valuable ideas and resources for women to grow their business, their income and their life at FemalePreneurs.com
Dream. Ask. Connect. Create. (Nov 3)
October 23, 2009 by Master-User
Filed under Past PFW Events
The Much-Anticipated Event is Finally Here!!!
Join us for a fabulous evening full of opportunities to learn, grow and get inspired! Plan to spend an connect with other passionate women, make new contacts and new friends. Learn new ways of growing your business. Leave with a handbag of good ideas and fresh inspiration!
We have planned an exciting event around the ASK theme. This evening will be insightful, inspirational and above all, fun –you will get support in identifying what it is that you need to need to ASK for to create success in your life and for your business — and walk away with some strategies on how and who! Think about the possibilities that might be available to you if you just ask!
Our presentations include…
- Interactive networking activity to help you brainstorm and connect with others
- Presentation from the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada
- Small panel of women entrepreneurs from Ladies Who Launch who will share their success stories & tips
In addition…
- PFW Showcase with a variety of different exhibitors showcasing their products and services*
- A gift bag to all pre-registered attendees*
- Fabulous door prizes*
- Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served 6:00-7:30 pm
*see below for details and rates
Please bring lots of business cards, your positive attitude and the desire to contribute to other women.
This event is proudly sponsored by the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada, the Women’s Post & Ladies Who Launch Toronto.
Event Details
Dream. Ask. Connect. Create.
Date: Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Time: 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Location: One Up Lounge – 130 Dundas Street West (Just West of Bay Street, next to the Eaton Centre)
Tickets:
Pre-payment $20-$0 (depending on membership level, see below for details)
At the door: $35
Have a business you’d like to promote?
1. Exhibit Tables:
- Rates includes a complimentary pass to the event (see below for sizes and options)
- Only a few remaining, available on a first-come, first-serve basis
- Only one exhibitor per category, will confirm registration within 24 hrs.
2. Gift Bags: now accepting products or promotional items for our gift bags
- Plan for 100 bags
- Nominal fee applies, see below for rates
- Size of bag is 15.75”w x 14.5”h x 6.25”d
- Deadline for delivery is Thursday Oct 29th (address will be provided once payment is made)
3. Door Prizes
- Contribute a product or gift certificate for our event, and you’ll get to introduce it on stage (great exposure).
- Minimum prize value required is $50.00
We also have a number of fantastic sponsorship opportunities at different levels to fit your needs and budget, please contact us for details.
Get Your Tickets Today!
11 productivity tips that creative types already know
October 6, 2009 by Master-User
Filed under Your Fab Biz
By Danielle LaPorte
Creative types get typecast as meandering goal setters for a reason. They tend to meander. We resist structure (even tho’ we crave it it.) We relish spontaneity (even tho’ we’re intrigued by five year goal setting plans.) We tend to be driven by inspiration (when we’re not obsessed with looking good on paper, or to our parents – who still can’t figure out how we make a living.) We get there in our own way and when the ‘flow’ works, we’re so smokin’ productive that pert charts and to-do lists cringe in the wake of our creative productivity. Creatives have a thing or two to teach the Linears and The Planners.
CREATIVE PRODUCTIVITY THAT WORKS FOR BOTH ARTISTES & A-TYPE PERSONALITIES:
1. APPROACH EVERYTHING AS A CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY. There is no separation between life and work. The same opportunities to express yourself or get great ideas are at the dinner table, in the stock exchange, and on the subway. Put yourself out there.
2. OBSESSION IS ESSENTIAL. Know your art and your science. Immerse yourself in the cultures you love and work in: read industry news, the teachings of spiritual masters and successful entrepreneurs, listen to what the people you serve are longing for, asking for, and leaning toward.
To foster obsession:
3. Read a LOT of magazines. And then read some more – about things related and unrelated to your work, Scientific American and Vogue, Dwell and Rolling Stone. Magazines are intensified viewpoints that can expand your perspective in just a few pages.
4. Create a style file or inspiration box of stuff that you love. Photos, articles, fabric swatches, postcards. I have an antique sake box filled with strange and lovely stuff. Sometimes I close my eyes and reach in to see what comes up – an Elvis coaster, a Zen koan torn from a divinity school program, an old essay or concert ticket.
5. Watch dox. I’m a documentary-phile (always looking for versions of the truth,) which gives me all sorts of weird, tragic, breathtaking imagery, inspiration, and facts to work with.
6. Engage with people that you don’t hangout with. Ask them big questions. Ask the cab driver what crazy stuff he’s seen as a cab driver, ask your friend’s teenager what they think about the future, ask your bank teller what it’s like to work with money all day.
To keep moving forward:
7. GIVE UP QUICKLY. If something feels like a drag and is not generating the right response – drop it like a hot potato. As Seth Godin says in his book, The Dip, “Fail fast.”
In order to give up quickly, you have to…
8. COURAGEOUSLY EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS. When something feels very wrong, totally uninspiring, say so – to yourself and your team. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you give up, it may spin you off into a better solution.
So that you can:
9. STICK WITH IT. If something feels fun, glimmering, exciting, and even one person has expressed wanting it from you – explore every angle about how to make it work.
And be assured that:
10. BACKWARDS IS FORWARDS. Know that there is no such thing as waste. A painted canvass that didn’t turn out, a pilot group that fizzled, it’s all useful. I trash stuff and start from scratch often. Sometimes, especially in terms of web development, you start knowing that you’ll have to scrap half of what you build down the road – starting over is never really starting over. It’s life.
Which allows you to:
11. CELEBRATE OTHER PEOPLE’S CREATIVITY AND PROSPERITY. Honoring other people’s creativity and success helps shake loose our own brilliance. Whether it’s a hot website, a terrific outfit on the street, or a well known author – go out of your way to say, “You’re great!” “Way to go!” “I love what you’ve created.”
And then keep on creating for yourself. Ever so productively.
Danielle LaPorte is the creator of www.whitehottruth.com, which has been called “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality & business” and lead author of Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design. She is the former Director of a think tank for futures studies, ran her own communications agency to promote Nobel Prize winners and a few old pop stars, and now works one-on-one with her signature Fire Starter sessions to help entrepreneurs rock their careers and creativity. Featured in Elle, Body + Soul, Vogue Australia, Better Homes & Gardens, Globe & Mail, The National Post and Entertainment Tonight, Danielle is based in Vancouver BC.
