There’s a popular Esquire Magazine article called “75 Skills Every Man Should Master.”  There’s stuff about baseball, neckties, and other things that most of the extraordinary men in my life could care the least about.

It got me thinking about the happiest, coolest, most successful women I know.  And how they would take the question of mastery about 40,000 leagues deeper than neckties and baseball.

In fact, it dawned on me that the burning desire beneath my outward goals is almost always the mastery of one of the following skills.  The [...] Continue Reading…

A butt-ugly turn-around moment in my life happened when I was trying to fall asleep in a freezing cold cinder-block room in New York City’s East Village after a hellish performance at a premiere venue.

I thought my career was over.

I shivered between the threadbare sheets, questioning my existence, pondering a degree in accounting, a lone tear rolling down the side of my face…

You’d think I was primed and ready for a Spielberg-like spiritual breakthrough involving some angels.  Or, at the very least, a spaceship.

But what happened instead?

A cockroach walked [...] Continue Reading…

The first house I ever bought had a pretty big lawn.

I used to mow it myself.  I was a tried-and-true DIY gal.  I prided myself on it.

Only problem?

I freakin’ couldn’t stand mowing the lawn.  I dreaded it all week.  Even though I was happy once it was finished, I started dreading it again the very next day!

At that time, I was just beginning to Uplevel my business and my success.  I started seeing my time differently.

I realized that the simple act of writing content or creating a product could [...] Continue Reading…

Irony: As I started to write this article, I thought, “I’ll just go play one quick Sudoku game first.”

I caught myself in the act and marched myself to my laptop.

People who say that procrastination is about laziness are probably the same people who think that anorexia is about not eating enough.

Procrastination isn’t about laziness. It’s about fear. It’s about perfectionism. It’s about overwhelm. We all experience these things!

The good news is that there are ways to get moving again.

Here are 9 of my favorite tricks to help even the [...] Continue Reading…

It seems logical to think LOW these days.

After all, the economic roller coaster ride we’ve been on has left some business owners a wee bit nauseous.

Add to that the 24/7 media fear parade, and you end up with a hostile environment for the average solopreneur.

So, if business is down or if you’re just not bringing in enough cash…

…then yes, it would seem logical to respond to that outward assault by joining in the collective cowering, playing a little smaller, and keeping your prices way down.

Hey, you have to compete, [...] Continue Reading…

For some people, breaking free from a corporate job to start their own business is the ultimate dream.  These days, more and more folks are turning this dream into a reality – and having lots of fun doing it!

However, years and years in the “corporate cage” may have created some mindsets that do not serve you as you become a successful entrepreneur.

Here are three big shifts that you may have to experience when you leave corporate to start your own business:

1 – From “Formal” to “Authentic.”

Whether it’s corporate jargon, [...] Continue Reading…

I dated a guy in college who had a strange ritual.   Every now and then, he decided he was out of shape.

“I’m disgusting!” he’d announce to no one in particular.

That afternoon, he would run for miles and miles. As if he could compensate for a sedentary semester in one quick spell.

The next day, his body would be so sore he could barely move.

Compare that with my friend Susan who lost over 65 pounds in one year.  She made health a habit. And even after losing all that weight, she [...] Continue Reading…

Fact:  There’s lots of cranky people who will hear you talk about your business or your business idea – and they’ll tell you to “get real.”

They’ll remind you that 6 million people start a business each year.

Then they’ll tell you that one out of three of these will fail.

They have no stomach for phrases like “follow your passion.”

But, let’s not fault these grouchy left-brain types, okay?

After all, building a successful business isn’t for wimps.  And yes, it IS challenging at times.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed.

Take me for [...] Continue Reading…

As a solo-business owner, you’ve got it made.

There’s no boss to answer to.

Cubicles are a thing of the past.

HR doesn’t hound you for a lost security code.

And you’re probably reading this in a t-shirt and jeans. (Okay, you’re in your pajamas. I was going to ignore that part.)

Either way – it’s just you.  It’s just your home office.  And your cat who occasionally plants his butt on your keyboard while you’re typing.

In other words – to the outside viewer – it’s not a particularly impressive or slick operation.

So it’s [...] Continue Reading…

In your business, the number “ONE” can be a surefire path to failure.

If you have only one employee who runs the show – what happens when that person has an emergency or has to quit for some reason?

Or let’s say you have one major client who brings in 80% of your revenue.   If anything happens to that person’s business, then the impact on your business will be devastating.

Got it?  Good.

Now blow it off.

Huh?

Yes, today you’re going to discover where the number one IS the best option:

Your marketing and communication.

Many [...] Continue Reading…