The 5 Energies of the Entrepreneur
Let’s take a step back to the basics today. First, let’s be clear, this is not about activities, priorities, or to-do lists :) This is more about understanding yourself as a business owner and the activities you elect to participate in each day. You’re doing a lot, so this is about understanding the nature of them all, what toll they take on your brain and your energy, and then setting your week up in a way that honors your natural rhythms and how you do things.
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The C.R.A.P Cycle
There's a cycle that many Soul-Sourced entrepreneurs find themselves in, not knowing how they got there, when it happened or what to do about it. It all starts when they hit the ground running without thinking ahead, without grounding themselves… and then things go off-kilter. This is no way to run a sustainable business. If you're tired of being dragged around in your business, listen in.
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The Universe is Your Dog
Have you tried visualization before? For some, it works. For others, it doesn't click. Whether you're trying to prepare for that meeting you're heading into, about to give a presentation, or you need to have a conversation with your spouse or team member, there are alternative ways you can prepare yourself. Today I'd like to share a simple method you can do anytime, anywhere because, like many Soul-Sourced entrepreneurs, visualization doesn't quite click for me either. I include a few stories to demonstrate just how quickly you can do this!
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Hosting your Own Retreats
’Tis the season for small events. While some may have been ready to spring back into large events in big ballrooms with hundreds of attendees, it doesn’t seem to be in the cards… just yet. But there’s so much good stuff that happens at smaller events and retreats, so today, I’m going to share why I think so, plus share my top tips for hosting a retreat from start to finish.
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Opinion Porn
Have you noticed? We’re navigating a world where everyone is constantly slapping around thoughts on anything and everything. And it’s screwing up our energy. So today, we’re looking at what happens when thoughts fly out without prior consideration and ways you can reclaim your energy and power in your response to what I call “opinion porn.”
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Writing your Own Bio: Do’s & Don’ts
Whether it’s your about page, a social media profile, or book jacket, your bio is a key piece of marketing that - when done effectively - requires you to go way deeper than just listing achievements. In today’s episode, I touch on the Soul Track, the softer mindset stuff, before we dig into the Strategy Track, the left-brain business stuff, to help you craft your bio. Sprinkled throughout, you’ll hear a few minor “been-there-done-that” rants, important considerations to make before you put pen to paper, a question from a client, and I even share a recent rewrite of a colleague’s bio. Here we go.
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Unmade Decisions: How to Detox
Do you put off decisions? Or maybe just avoid them altogether? We all do this from time to time, but we sensitive entrepreneurs have to be super careful in this arena. Today I want to look at why we do this, how it’s eating away at the limited energy we have, and its impact on our creativity.
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The Awesomeness Habit
“Never being quite good enough” is a disease that runs rampant in the minds of us secretly sensitive business types. Luckily, there’s a cure… the Awesomeness Habit. Listen in as I identify the true source of these feelings of deficiency, and discover how to create the “cumulative mojo” you need to measure up to (and surpass!) your own standards. Plus, get a fun surprise for August to celebrate our first year of the Soul Sourced™ Business Podcast!
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The One About Titles and Subtitles
Ever stare at a blank page wondering how to come up with a title or a subtitle? Or maybe you’ve got 100 versions for your book’s subtitle, but none of them hit the spot? Been there, done that. And today, I’m sharing the lessons I learned from hours of investigation, introspection and back-and-forths with my editor that finally helped me create a subtitle I love and that has attracted 1000’s of readers to my best-selling book. Here we go.
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Only 1 person signed up. Now what?
Let’s take a walk on the dark side of marketing and look at what to do when things don’t go according to plan. This is tender territory, especially for us Soul-Sourced™ entrepreneurs. And it’s not a popular topic with the gurus who’d prefer to go the “make millions in a month” route - but you and I need a different set of rules. So today, I’ll talk about how to manage your ego when you don’t get the response you expect, plus I’ll give you some strategic ways to move forward with grace.
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On Being Consistent (Even When You’re Not)
We all have great, fiery ideas that eventually fizzle out, but what could your business look like if you actually created that awesome podcast, newsletter or video series you came up with - and then kept it going!?
If you spend more time beating yourself up for not doing the important thing than you do just making it happen, I’m here to help. Tune in for a few strategies to be more consistent in your work, and a few habits that’ll take you from inspiration to realization and beyond.
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The Art of Hosting Workshops & Events Online
Lots of us are hosting meetings and gatherings online these days. (Hat tip to the pandemic for the new skillset.) Whether it’s Zoom or another platform, there’s an art to doing these well… not just for your business success, but for the impact your content has on your peeps. Today I’m taking a gander at some big assumptions that come with hosting online events, the kind that get you in trouble and make you fall flat. Then, I’ll share some clear action steps to ensure your success is guaranteed.
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Special: Winging it vs Owning it
Feel like you’re always reacting to business situations? Or maybe you toss out that marketing email and ‘hope for the best.’ My friend, this is a risky way to run a Soul-Sourced business. On this special episode, I take a few minutes to share some of the most hard-core (and painful!) symptoms of winging it and then offer up an alternative, that comes with way better perks - if I do say so myself.
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Lessons from my 5 Favorite Books on Writing
Writers write, as they say. And no matter what form it comes in - warm letter, sales page, Facebook post, your first book - if you write, you're a writer. So there is great value in improving your craft.
Today I’m changing things up. I’m sharing my 5 favorite books on writing, but not as a direct recommendation (they’re not for everybody). Instead, I’m sharing what lessons they offer about navigating perfectionism, distractedness, and other mental gymnastics of the writing process.
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7 Marketing Rules I Broke (And You Can too)
A lot of us secretly sensitive types experience marketing as this aggressive, right-brained attempt to manipulate people into working with us - which feels gross and counter to being a Soul-Sourced™ Entrepreneur. Plus, hyped-up, fear-based messages tend to attract high-strung, frightened people. Which is not the vibe we’re going for, right? Tune in for an examination of some fast, hard marketing rules. In particular, 7 of them I personally broke, that you can break too - if it feels good.
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A Morning Ritual to Realign
Tell the truth. Do you keep rehashing the story that you’re not quite up to snuff? When you sit at your desk in the morning, do your thoughts run to the negative? When you wrap up your work at the end of the day, do you remind yourself of everything you didn’t get done? In today’s episode, I take on the New York Times. And I give you a much-needed reframe. We’ll explore the way you work and maybe consider your work-day and work-life are not all about the mythical and unattainable idea of “high performance!”
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The Ego Bling Episode
As we grow, change, pivot (whatever kicky term you like best), there’s a lot of ‘mindset stuff’ that takes place - I call this the Soul Track. And as Soul-Sourced™ Entrepreneurs, we know change is essential for growth… and that’s often where we trip up. That voice in your head comes charging in. Before your resistance kills your transformation or your ego gets you in trouble, let me warn you about some ways your mind’s going to try to stop you in your tracks… and what you can do about it.
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Telling Your Story, Sharing your Why
Just like every superhero has an origin, every business owner has a why - the (true, enlightening, often embarrassing) experience that transformed you from a mere mortal into a Soul-Sourced™ Entrepreneur. Your why story has the power to connect with your audience on a deep level. So, let’s uncover where your why story comes into play, and go over some do’s and don’ts of using it for your marketing.
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Never Complain, Never Explain
As long as you’re in the business of dealing with human beings, you’re going to come up against challenges. Whether or not you allow yourself to be triggered … well, that’s up to you. After a recent dramatic experience in my business, I’m sharing the “Never Complain, Never Explain” policy of responding to conflict. Hear how I dealt with my personal triggers... and discover how to manage your own energy when situations get mucky.
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The Skillset of Seeing Yourself Clearly
Whatever content you create for your business — blog, podcast, video, article, online course — the final step of creating that content is always the marketing...sharing why they’d want to take the time to consume what you just made. This last vital piece is about communicating in a way that makes them want to click through and read, or watch, or listen. So, let’s take a look at the crucial skillset you need in order to do this well.
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Clean Selling
It doesn’t matter if you’re a musician, consultant, massage therapist, baker or candlestick maker (sorry, couldn’t resist) … as a Soul-Sourced™ entrepreneur, the act of selling will bring up your internal shit. So, if you find selling uncomfortable (and who doesn’t?) listen in to discover a process to clean up your energy and uplevel your power before your next sales call.
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Overwhelm and the Art of the Brain Dump
As an entrepreneur, your life is dynamic. Okay, it’s chaotic. :) You're in charge of launches, clients, marketing… on top of all the regular life stuff. So yup, overwhelm comes to the playground in full force, and it's up to us to how we respond - or as you'll hear me challenge today, perhaps being proactive can change the whole ball game. Let's dig into ways overwhelm affects us and discover how to break the negative patterns we fall into when we feel we're in over our heads.
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My Personal Quarterly Ritual
This week was our first quarterly client Mastermind Retreat of 2021 here at Uplevel. As always, we started with a game-changing ritual to realign with clarity in all areas of life and business. So in honor of our retreat, I’m sharing the foundations of this ritual, so you too can realign. I often say, momentum is built by realigning... with vision, priorities and soul. (Remember, our work as business owners isn’t all about spreadsheets and data.)
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On Writing Good
Whether it’s copywriting, programs, or ebooks—we’re always writing something as business owners. While we may not consider ourselves professional writers, having the ability to write - or think about writing - adds exponential value to every Soul-Sourced™ entrepreneur. Let’s take a look at some ways to get past common blocks that stop any writer in their tracks, and feel at ease with your own unique writing ways.
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Believing You’re Worth what You Charge
Setting prices is fun and easy… right? If just reading that made you queasy, keep reading. This topic is particularly hard for Soul-Sourced™ entrepreneurs, and it’s crucial! This isn’t something you can ignore in your business, I know it’s hard and can be overwhelming. This is where those really evil mental Gremlins can creep in and cause havoc. So let’s get to the heart of the matter and, perhaps for the first time, find a way to set prices that feel aligned with a reassuring and confidence boosting process. Prepare to be surprised. This convo is going places you might not expect.
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Strategic vs Tactical
This episode is kind of a confession that starts with a flashback. Years ago, I was futzing my way around trying to figure out meetings and scaling and strategy… all while trying to get so much stuff done. It was an exercise in proverbial wheel-spinning. And then? Well, that’s the insight I share in this episode. It was a key distinction that was SO simple yet SO eye-opening, I was stunned. Today, allow me to share this insight so you too can stop the wheel-spinning...and do more elegant things in your business.
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The Energy Of Completion
Does this sound like you ever? On any given day, you could complete dozens of menial tasks, like cleaning the stove or loading the dishwasher. But sit your ass down to work on your website copy for 30 minutes? Oh, hell to the no. Some people call this procrastination. I do not. In today’s episode, I highlight what’s often missing for us Soul-Sourced™ entrepreneurs. (It’s really the hidden cause of procrastination!) So if you need a skip-in-your-step to get that important work done, then this one's for you.
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the #1 problem behind your sales
Ever wish someone would just step in and do your selling for you?... Like, write all the copy, do all the talking, and just convince people that you’re great already! Well, you’re not alone. This is an on-going theme for solo-businesses. So on today’s episode, I changed things up a bit. I hit the record button and simply offered up the exact coaching I’d give a private client facing some of these challenges. And of course, it’s got a lot more to do with your energy and your soul than you might first realize. We’ll talk sales copy, offers, pricing, and help you get clarity about the value you provide.
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Confusing the “feels” with the facts
Sometimes, we Soul-Sourced™ entrepreneurs (me included) get misled by our feelings. In my experience, it’s our little secret way to avoid digging deeper into some of the tedious stuff that comes along with any business decision. We use our feelings as facts. So let’s talk about the way language affects our emotions, and how we can retrain our emotionally wired brain.
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Getting Your Clients To Do The Work
Do you struggle getting clients to do the work you need them to do? (You know, so they can receive the support they’ve paid you for??) It’s more common than you might imagine. So today, listen in as I share the steps I offered my client Vanessa, which enabled her to be much more successful (and about a billion times happier). Plus, snag some seriously actionable tips to use in your own business.
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The Practice of Finding your Power
Are you someone who takes business challenges in stride, or are you quick to spiral when things don’t go according to plan? As great as we Soul-Sourced™ entrepreneurs can be at staying positive in our business, we all get blindsided from time to time. In today’s episode, learn how to leverage your challenges to uplevel your business, and discover the reasons to celebrate when things go sideways.
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Your Enneagram Comments & Questions
Ever beat yourself up for not staying positive enough? Feel like you’d be more successful in business if you could maintain your mindset? Entrepreneurs are taught that it’s imperative to stay positive, but the thing is … we’ve all got our sh*t. Listen in to find out how the Enneagram can help you understand the root of your less-than-positive patterns as I answer questions from Facebook.
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Your Enneagram Type & Your Biz
Do you ever find yourself caught in the same old patterns in your business? Like, you apologize for things that aren’t your fault? Or you never set boundaries. Or, you under-value your services? Or you never seem to do enough no matter how much you’ve achieved? Well, you’re not alone! And today I’m talking about one of the most powerful tools you can use to transform any pattern or stuck spot. It’s called the Enneagram. Let’s get started.
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The Word-of-the-Year Episode
Tired of the struggle and the relentless need to “get” things and grab things? Well, I was too. That’s when I came up with my Word-of-the-Year ritual back in the early 2000s. I couldn’t set yet another resolution to never achieve. It felt like just another to do on my never-ending list. So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to this method in hopes it helps you transform at a deeper level over the coming year.
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The Fear of Rejection
Do you have big intentions for your business but keep playing small with your actions? Are you afraid of putting yourself out there because you don’t want to get turned away? I had to personally get past these same obstacles to create the music career I said I wanted, so it could actually happen. In this episode, hear the truth of what the “fear of rejection” really is and how to move through it.
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Procrastination and The 8 Waits
Got a lot of great ideas for your business that keep getting derailed for one reason or another? Maybe this wonky pandemic is to blame, or the political madness, or the general uncertainty of the world, or maybe … it’s you? Buckle in for a pure mindset episode where we’ll dive into our intentions and reasons we claim for not taking action, and finally, break the patterns that keep you stuck.
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Ideal Clients: A Deeper Dive
Are you so busy trying to attract any clients that you don’t have time to focus on attracting the right ones? Want to grow your business but your marketing isn’t connecting the way you want it to? Let me introduce you to a little concept I call the “slow down to speed up,” and learn how (and why) to dig deeper into who your ideal client is and what you can do to find and connect with them more effortlessly.
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Constant Gentle Realignment
Do you get thrown off your game when the world doesn’t behave like you think it should? As an entrepreneur, you have a vision for how you want things done in our business, but what happens when a client or team member doesn’t understand or maintain your standards? Let’s take a look at things that can put us off kilter, and learn to course correct while avoiding a meltdown.
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What to Do on Your Weekly “Biz Dev” Day
Do you ever feel like you’re on a hamster wheel … always running to keep things going, but never moving forward? This often comes from a lack of clarity. What just might be in order is a strategic day focused on things that really have the potential to grow your business for the long-haul. Let me show you how to use a business development day to get out of the CRAP (which is an acronym for the Cycle of Reactivity and Panic) so you can focus on things to grow your business for the long haul.
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The Nitty Gritty of Launching Anything
Do you love the inspiration-filled process of creating stuff but hate the marketing side? I’m here to help navigate the energy switch between creating something to help people and convincing them (and yourself) that it’s worth paying for.
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On making and (deflecting) big decisions
Hate making decisions? Wish someone would just tell you what to do instead of having to make the decision? There’s a thin line between getting guidance and handing the reins over to others who don’t have access to your intuition of what’s best for you. Let’s look at how our egos deflect scary questions by asking others what we should do and claim our power to step into each day with clarity, authenticity, and ownership.
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When Someone Gets Pissed At You
Do you shrink and panic when someone gets mad at you? Do you spiral into a good hour or two of beating yourself up? Confession: Me too. At least I used to be like that. These days, I rely on some simple steps to help manage these reactions and effectively deal with the internal and external strife that arises when someone says they’re pissed off. Today, I’m sharing them with you.
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On Writing Your First Book
Dream of writing your first book? Or maybe you’ve started writing, but you’re questioning yourself every step of the way? At the recording of this episode, I’m three short weeks away from releasing my first book, and I’ve got some insight to help you think more clearly - and less judgy - about yourself as you get your book outta your head and into existence.
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When Beliefs Block Your Vision
Do you have a great big dream for your business … but catch yourself settling for less? Let’s unpack the subtle (and not so subtle) ways we sell ourselves short, and I’ll share some time-tested insights into how you can stop asking - and striving - for less than you deserve.
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Procrastination and Imperfect Action
Is there a book waiting inside you, but you keep not writing it? Maybe a new program or a new direction in your business, but you remain frozen. No matter where you’re procrastinating, if the idea of not getting things 100% right is keeping you from even trying, let’s explore some common fears that keep Soul-SourcedTM entrepreneurs stuck, and discover the purpose (and power!) of taking imperfect action.
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How to Reinvent Yourself
Ready to create your big reinvention story? Before you toss the old to make way for the new, here’s some insight from my own personal breakdown-before-the-breakthrough. This episode exposes the secret truth of how reinvention really happens as I share the five years of uncertainty and a-ha’s that were part and parcel of my own journey of letting go.
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The Breakdown Before the Breakthrough
Got business burn out? Feel like nothing’s working for you anymore? Well, it’s been a hell of a year, and the pressure to achieve just keeps building, even though everything feels off. So, how can we keep going? Let’s explore the bright side of your breakdown and provide you with tools to see the potential that’s inviting you in.
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The Empire Mentality
Does it feel like you’re always putting out fires in your business? Are you treating your passion-driven work as a hobby? Sometimes it’s hard for Soul-Sourced™ Entrepreneurs to go from taking direction, operating as an employee, to taking ownership, thinking like a business owner. So let's look at some essential steps to claim your place as the CEO of Y.O.U. and make those lingering internal adjustments so you can fully embody what I call your empire mentality.
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The ‘Play Big’ Zone
Is there something you keep not doing? Something big you want to take on that you just haven’t been able to bring yourself to claim? Confession: I was scared to death to tell anyone I wanted to be a musician. And I did exactly what scared people do... I made excuses, told stories, and stayed stuck. These patterns can stop any dream, vision, or goal dead in its tracks. Today’s episode features two stories… one when I was about to give up on everything, the other when I saved some clients from giving up everything.
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Change the How, Not the What
Have you lost that lovin’ feeling for your business? Has the passion and excitement run dry? Before you take off sprinting in a completely different direction, let’s get curious and find out what else might be going on. Maybe it’s not WHAT you’re doing that has you wanting to cut and run, but HOW you’ve been doing it … and that my friend, can be fixed.
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When Boundaries Get Broken (Part 2)
Have you ever broken a boundary you set in your business, only to sit back and wonder, “What the heck was I thinking??” In part two of “When Boundaries Get Broken,” we enter the ninja zone of self-awareness and extreme personal power. You’ll get some real tools for how to catch yourself at that critical moment as you’re about to dive off the “Sure, I’ll do that!” ledge yet again, so that you can pause and get clear.
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When Boundaries Get Broken (Part 1)
Does it sometimes feel like people just walk all over you? Or you hear yourself saying “yes” when you know in your heart you should say “no.” Do you ever feel like people ignore your boundaries, standards or needs? If so, then fret no more! In this first episode of a 2-part series, we’re going to look at what to do when a boundary has been miscommunicated or a line has been crossed, and how to express your feelings from a place of clarity, authenticity and integrity, even when (especially when!) it’s uncomfortable.
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On Being Cut Out for Business
Ever ask yourself if you’re cut out for this entrepreneur thing? Well you’re not alone. In fact, I’ve asked myself the very same question. So many books out there about how to run a business … all the strategic, left brain stuff that rarely jibes with Soul-SourcedTM entrepreneurs who started with an idea, not a business plan. But, just because you’re not one of those kick-ass-and-take-names entrepreneurs, doesn’t mean you can’t be highly successful. And that’s what today’s episode is all about.
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The Fear of Putting Yourself Out There
The number one entrepreneurial fear my clients have confessed to over the years is the fear of putting themselves out there (i.e., the fear of being seen, or being a fraud). To make matters worse they then move on to stuffing those feelings down, which won’t help at all. Well, today on the Soul-SourcedTM Business Podcast, I'm bringing you an alternative option, one that you can turn to time and time again when you need it.
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The 5 Phases of the Entrepreneur
Starting, running, and growing a creative business - what I call Soul-SourcedTM - can be tricky waters to navigate. Then we throw in comparisonitis and all the should’s of entrepreneurship, and we begin to blindly follow the white rabbit down the trail. But there is good news, my friend. Over the years in working with clients here at Uplevel, I've identified phases we experience, and with this clarity, we're put back into the driver's seat of our business!
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The 6 P’s of Coaching
Being a coach is a skillset based on knowledge, experience, and practice. Some entrepreneurs have a hard time labeling themselves as “coach,” but in reality, we all coach our clients in some fashion. Coaching happens in all types of businesses. Let’s take a look under the hood and find the truth about the mechanics of coaching.
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Cringe-Worthy Requests and What to Say
Let’s face it. These awkward moments are gonna happen. Sometimes, they make us laugh. Sometimes, they piss us off. Either way, you can remain calm and clear - and maintain your standards and boundaries. Today, we’re going to look at this all-too-common occurrence from every angle. Think of it as a full-body workout, and let me share a framework to navigate these conversations with ease.
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Intention Reset: Getting Back on Track
We hit the midway point of 2020 - let’s acknowledge our journey towards mastering uncertainty. And perhaps that entrepreneurial intention you set at the beginning of the year needs some attention. On this episode of The Soul-Sourced Podcast, let's do an intention reset for the second half of the year.
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How to Get Scary Things Done
I've heard a lot about the fears of entrepreneurs over the last 10 years, and oftentimes, they’re shared by everyone, but we tend to believe we're the only ones facing them. Let’s talk about this mental chatter on this episode of The Soul-Sourced Business.
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The New Money Mindset Paradigm
Welcome to the Soul-SourcedTM Business Podcast! I’m kicking off the show with an important topic during challenging times as an entrepreneur. So here we go… let’s talk about your money mindset.
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