by Donna Johnson on April 30, 2009
As a new attorney, I entered the courtroom for the first time terrified. The judge who would hear my case was Chief Judge Frank Kaufman of the US District Court for the District of Maryland. He was known as a no nonsense judge with no patience for green attorneys.
I tried everything to relax, and despite how prepared I was, I was still convinced I'd do a terrible job. And I was right. I nearly imploded in the middle of the trial. It was so bad that the opposing counsel never objected to my crazy questions. But what surprised me most was Chief Judge Kaufman's response. When I asked a nonsensical question, he leaned over the bench and said, "Ms. Coles, perhaps if you ask the question this way, the witness will answer you." Or, "Ms. Coles, why don't you ask this question, see if that works."
I felt so inept, but I kept going, pretending that everything was going just as it should. I managed to get through it and my colleagues took me out to lunch afterward, each one telling me the awful story of their first time alone in court with a client's well being hanging in the balance. Nearly every time I present at a conference or speak publicly, that experience empowers me. I know that, no matter how terrified I am, I can deliver my message with confidence and self assurance.
If lack of confidence is stopping you from doing something vital to your business, remember first that the only way to gain confidence is to just take a deep breath and put yourself out there. And second, there will always be someone, even a most unlikely someone, to help you if they see that you are pulling your weight and trying to do your best.
Question: Have you ever followed a project through to completion, even though you were scared to death, and come out on the other side with more confidence to tackle the next challenge? Share your experiences in the comments section below so we can all benefit and be encouraged.
by Donna Johnson on April 29, 2009
I recently started running a mile and a third every weekday morning. I'm not very fast or graceful, but I am out there, jogging (some would say "slogging"), around a dirt track covered with a light layer of loose gravel. Most of the track is even, but there's a patch where the gravel is piled higher than it is on the rest of the track. Running through it feels a bit like running on light sand at the beach, which of course is much more challenging than running on a level surface.
Each time I round the corner of the track to approach the patch of sand, my legs tell me I can't do it again. That I have to stop and walk through the sand-like area and then start running again on the other side of it. My legs tell me that, even though the sand patch is short and insignificant compared to the rest of the track.
In business too, there are rough patches that we swear we can't get through. They could be times when there's more money due than there is coming in. Or times when we have to perform monotonous and boring tasks in order to keep our businesses going. If you see those times coming at you, instead of listening to the voice inside that says, "I can't do this," listen to (or create) a voice inside that says, "I am doing this, and my business and my life are better off because of it."
If you'd have asked me even a month ago whether I could run a mile and a third without stopping, I would have laughed politely and changed the subject, because the voice inside me said I couldn't do that. But then, I changed the voice inside me and a whole new world is opening up.
Question: Are you avoiding doing things to advance your business because of a voice telling you that you can't do them? Try switching the recording from "I can't" to "I am" and then follow that voice. Let me know if it helps you like it has helped me.
by Donna Johnson on April 28, 2009
During my years as a business owner, I have been tempted many times to just stop. Especially in the early days when it seemed like I was spitting into the wind day in and day out. No matter what I did, few people were listening and even fewer were buying. There were times when I pulled back some in order to regroup and stop the hemorrhage of money and frustration, but I never stopped. And I think that's a chief reason why I'm still in business today.
You see, as hard as it is to actually start a business, compared to managing the day to day responsibilities, starting out is a virtual cake walk. The real work begins once the business actually exists, and you have to plug away day after day, month after month, with little return.
But as hard at that is, it's even more difficult to re-start a business after months of stopping. That's why my advice to you is, whatever you do, don't stop. There will be times when money is tight. There will be times when you reach the end of your rope and just want to give up.
But unless you affirmatively decide to go out of business, try to do something each week, even a small thing, to lead your business during hard times so that when they end, you're not stuck having to start a business all over again from scratch.
Question: Have you ever refused to stop, and now credit that decision with saving your business? Have you ever stopped, and had to start all over again and now wish you had kept things going, even on a tiny scale? I'd love to know what your expriences are like so that, whatever they are, we can encourage and lift each other up.
by Donna Maria on April 27, 2009
Show Title: Become a Financial Grownup
In his book, “I Will Teach You to be Rich,” Ramit Sethi shares a 6-week system to help you optimize your money and become a “financial grown up.” In this show, we explore his methods and uncover some of his secrets.
Become a Financial Grownup:
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by Donna Johnson on April 27, 2009
In a conversation last week with a fellow parent who is also a business owner, I approached the topic of blogging. Since his business is in the field of interior "green" spaces, there is no end to the topics he can blog about to help draw attention to his expertise in the field. He told me that he didn't have time, mainly because he didn't want to take time away from "what is really important," his 5-year old son.
Time with our children while they are young is indeed precious. Who among us would not snap up a 25-hour day if we knew that the extra hour could be spent one-on-on and uninterrupted with our children. Having said that, if you own a business, your business is one of your children. And not only that, it's the only child you have that can actually provide for the others.
A website is great. Spreading the word by word of mouth is great. Traditional advertising is great. Home parties are great. But the reality is that, if you are a parent of young children and a business owner, you simply must maximize technology if you really want your business to be successful. That means it's vital for you to participate in the conversations that concern your field of expertise. Being a parent in business is hard, very hard. But if you decide to have a business, what's the point if you don't make the hard choices that have to be made in order to make it successful? I want all of my children to be successful, and that includes my business. This means that I have to take just about as much time with my business as I do with my children. But that's just me.
Questions: What do you think? If your goal is to create a viable business that is profitable over the long term, and which provides the kind of income that allows you to save for your and your family's future, how much time do you spend with your business versus your children? Have you put off embracing technology and all the things it can do for your business because you're a parent? I'd love to know what it's like for you. Share your ideas and experiences in the comments section below.
by Donna Johnson on April 24, 2009
My husband and I own and manage our business from home. We also have two young children, which makes things very interesting. This morning, I met with Brandon Uttley of Web Business Freedom, which he runs from his home outside Charlotte, North Carolina.
During our time, Brandon and I discussed the benefits and challenges of running a business from home while young children are underfoot. It's one thing to make a business work. It's quite another to do it from your sanctuary, and with a spouse, babies, toddlers and/or tweens around all day, so I asked Brandon to share some of his tips for successfully owning and managing a business from home. First, he said, you have to know how it will work from a practical perspective. Will you maintain certain office hours? Barring an emergency, is your office off limits when the door is closed? How are you and your spouse going to agree on a plan that provides you with the physical and mental separation you need to get things done at home?
Next, Brandon says that, even though you work at home, you have to maintain a business mentality. For Brandon, this means wearing business casual clothing even though he doesn't have to. He also says that you have to treat your office like an office, not like a convenient place to pile up household items or store children's toys.
These things may seem small, but planning them is every bit as important as planning the business itself. Ask me how I know!!
Question: Do you work from home? What sorts of practical things do you do to work successfully? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments section.
