Debra Kasowski

Start Loving Your Numbers or Break the Bank…You Choose

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Everyone loves money when it is flowing to them and not so much when it is flowing away from them. Money is not something that most people grew up talking openly about yet money is something that needs to be talked about. If you are running a household, a business, or an organization, knowing your numbers is crucial in decision-making. To make good financial decisions, you need to know what money is going out and what is coming in. I am not a financial advisor nor am I guaranteeing you a profit. You are in charge of how you manage your money. I want to encourage you to pay attention to what your numbers are telling you. I have learned that I need to tighten my financial belt in different areas to achieve my goals. Money, sometimes, needs to be redirected to pressing priorities or to where it will have the greatest impact.

Know what your financial goals are. Whether you are growing your business to reach a certain revenue or profit, you want to have some idea of what that number is. If you are planning a family vacation, you do not need to slap it on the credit card. You can do some advanced planning and drop the headache of dealing with the bill after you come back. Enjoy the vacation, know your numbers and save for it. You can save to save but you must have some idea of a number you want to achieve to know when you have reached it – it will be most satisfying! Write down the goal. Ink it so you can think it!

Know where your money is flowing. Keep track of where your money is coming in from and where it is going out to. Measure daily if you can, otherwise, weekly and monthly. You may catch overcharges and maybe even some undercharges. Are you investing your money in the right places? Could you be redirecting it to other places? Where is money being wasted? Are you buying too many gifts, grabbing too many lattes, or investing in marketing without a return on investment? Track your income and expenses. Are you waiting for money from anyone or are they waiting on you?

Know what you are willing to sacrifice, modify, or put on hold until you reach your goal. Are you organizing your errands? Are you buying things with an intention or randomly because it feels good? Can you limit the lattes or lunches? Where can you cut back on groceries (put buying steak on hold for a few weeks)? Instead of eating out, can you host a potluck or dine in? Are you willing to get part-time work if needed? What are you willing to do to make your goal become a reality?

Know what is working, what is not working, and what you can improve on. Evaluate what is working – keep doing more of it! What is not working? Stop it! What can you do improve on…do it!

Start loving your numbers…they might seem scary to look at in the beginning but when you start seeing the numbers climb and the debts decrease you will be in love. You will be able to reach some of those goals you have been thinking about, “Someday I will _________”. Instead of thinking about it, you will be able to say, “Today I will ________”. Wouldn’t that feel great? Your numbers are the pulse of your household, business, and organization. Do a pulse check and see where you are? Don’t wait until tax time to know your numbers. Your numbers also drive action. What needs to be done to make you love your numbers?

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. She is a contributing writer for Diversity and Fabulous at 50 magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. www.debrakasowski.com

Episode 96 – Consciously Connecting with Holland Haiis

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Meet Our Guest:

Holland Haiis has been dubbed the Digital Detox Expert. She is often called upon by CNN International, CBS, NBC, FOX News, Sirius Radio and many others to discuss how to increase connection within ourselves while finding a technological balance.

Holland is a speaker, corporate team builder and the author of the well received book; Consciously Connecting: A Simple Process to Reconnect in a Disconnected World.

Holland’s mission is to help the world understand how our brain’s and our live’s are changing due to using too much technology and how we can find that perfect balance. By consciously connecting we find the power to our goals, boundaries, creativity and so much more! Holland works with individuals, families and corporations on their path to honoring relationships and understanding how to live and work more human.

In 2016 Hay House voted Holland one of 100 Global Thought Leaders and she spoke at their World Summit. She is also a contributing editor for HuffPost.

For more information on Holland and her services visit her website at www.hollandhaiis.com

5 Misconceptions About Challenges That Every Leader Must Face

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There isn’t a leader who has never faced a challenge before. They are tried and tested. They have faced heartaches and triumphs but there are still many misconceptions about the challenges they face.

Misconception #1: Building a trusting team is EASY.

When you put a group of people together, you can not assume you will have a high functioning trusting team by default. Each person comes to the group with different knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is part of a leader’s responsibility to know what some of these knowledge, skills, and abilities are so they can be leveraged to work toward a common vision. To do so, trust must be built. It is the foundation of the team and without trust, you will not get results because people will fail to commit to the vision and hold yours.

Building a trusting team takes time and effort. You are bringing together people of different backgrounds and experiences. You cannot expect everyone to “just trust each other”. The members of the team must get to know each other as people first and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities as they work toward a common goal. They need to be able to depend on each other to “get the job done”. It is not an easy task when team members are “me” focused versus “we” focused. There is a time and place to work on individual goals but they must be aligned with the common goal to be supported by the team.

Misconception #2: A leader does not need to ask for feedback.

Not asking for feedback is like saying, “Go ahead, run through the minefield. Nothing will happen.” Asking for feedback is crucial. As a leader, you must take the time to ask for and listen to the feedback offered by the people who work alongside you. They are at the frontline and can offer valuable input into the impact of daily operations. People are more engaged when asked for their opinion on things.

Misconception #3: Criticism is bitterness and should be discarded.

Even though criticism is hard to hear at the best of times, there is a lesson to be found. Ask yourself or the person offering the criticism what the ideal situation would look like. You may learn that information may have been miscommunicated or not communicated at all. When someone criticizes something, they obviously have a vision of what could be better so ask. The other thing to remember is not to take the criticism personally as it is someone’s opinion and not necessarily yours. What is the lesson to be learned? What can be improved?

Misconception #4: It is acceptable to let a setback set you back.

We hear so much talk about being vulnerable and as a leader, it is important to know how much to share and how much a setback will hold you back (and it better not for long or another leader will take your place). Your followers need someone to look up to in the face of setbacks. They need someone to continue to believe their skills and abilities to work toward a vision. They need to be reminded that setbacks are temporary and it is through action that new results can be achieved. A leader sets the tone for setting up the comeback from any setback. They may share their concerns; however, they must stand in confidence and stay motivated. The people see their leader as a role model and will do the same.

Misconception #5: To lead change, you must be at the helm 100% of the time.

Leaders are leaders because they lead, inspire, and build people. They know when they must step to the side and let their people demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities. They encourage creativity and innovation. They want to hear suggestions and ideas about how to become better. To do so, the leader must walk alongside their people to help them step up and into their potential. The leader does not have to be at the front the whole time. A leader must be able to share a clear vision for the people ensuring all actions align with the team’s core values.

If leaders led with conviction based on these misconceptions, there would be no followers. People need a leader who is willing to work toward building a trusting team and engaging their people in the process. A leader must trust in the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the people hired to do the work and support them in areas that require growth. A leader needs to be open to feedback and appreciate different perspectives. A leader needs to lead with confidence and share the helm with those who have strengths that the leader does not possess to be successful in facing new challenges and adventures placed before them.

What are some of the misconceptions you have encountered as a leader?

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. She is a contributing writer for Diversity and Fabulous at 50 magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. www.debrakasowski.com

 

 

 

Episode 95 – Expect Success

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“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” – Zig Ziglar

Do you fret and worry about the possibility of failing? Do you know you increase the odds of failure based on what you focus on? Your mindset is the game changer of your success. If you are focused on failing, you may see procrastination, apathy, and indecisiveness. With a lack of effort or no effort, you will meet expectations of failing. Now, if you believe in yourself and that you will succeed, you will plan, prepare, and put the effort required to achieve success. Chances are you will meet or exceed your expectations. To succeed, you need to anticipate success!

Set Clear Expectations. Setting yourself up for success involves being clear about your expectations and sharing them with others if you are working with a team or other individuals. When people see that you are anticipating success, they will share in the energy, enthusiasm, and vision. What do you think people thought when JFK made his speech to Congress May 25, 1961, and said, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning safely to Earth?” Some people may have reacted stating that’s impossible. Others were already thinking, “That’s exciting, they started asking questions and gathering information. What knowledge, skills, and abilities do we need? I want you to pay attention to JFK’s statement. It was specific – what did he want to see happen – land a man on the moon. What did he expect? They would be able to land a man on the moon AND return him home safely. He did not stop at getting to the moon but returning them back and 1969 his vision became a reality. Neil Armstrong was the first man to land on the moon. It is unfortunate JFK was not able to see it come to pass.

You can set yourself up to expect success too. It all starts with your belief in yourself, your ability, and the people around you. What you believe must align with what you expect. What do you expect to achieve?

Ensure your goals are SMART. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Timely. You may want to shortcut or keep it extra brief. You cannot do that. You need to ensure you are very clear on each of the 5 parts of the SMART goal. You need to write your goals down. If you are keeping them in your head, you will learn very quickly, out of sight, out of mind. Keep your goals front and center. Often where people fall short is in that they have no way to measure what they are attempting to achieve so they do not know when they have achieved it or not. Sometimes people set goals that are not achievable or realistic. It may be because they did not set aside an appropriate amount to time or resources to achieve the goal for the timeframe they were aiming for.

Do you anticipate success for the following statement?

I will lose 20 lbs in 3 days.

Let’s breakdown the goal – specific yes, measurable – yes, achievable – no, realistic – no, timely – yes. Something drastic would need to occur for that to happen.

Now let’s fix it up!

I will lose 20 lbs in the next 125 days.

Specific – Yes, Measurable – Yes, Achievable – Yes, Realistic – Yes, Timely – Yes!

Here are a few more achievable and realistic actionable goals:

I will send out 35 marketing letters every week for the next 3 months.

I will create 1-2 Facebook Live Videos every week.

I will call 1-3 of my clients per day every week.

I will set a date night with each member of my family once a month.

I will measure my social media stats for Facebook and Instagram every Friday.

I will intend to meet 1-3 new contacts at each networking event I go to this week.

Hold Yourself Accountable. Not only are you setting clear expectations and SMART goals, you need to be checking in with yourself to ensure you are on track. Did you mail out the 35 marketing letters this week? Did you create 1-2 Facebook Live Videos? Did you call 1-3 of your clients each day? You have the picture! Are you doing what you know needs to be done or are you falling into old patterns of behaviour? Did you skip a couple weeks and then blast out 70 marketing letters? Did you create one Facebook Video one week and then another 6 weeks later? What traction are you getting? Consistent actions will get you further ahead than random ones! OWN it! Make things happen.

Shine the Spotlight on What is Working. Know what is working well, what is not working well, and what you need to ask for help with or delegate. Your mindset needs to focus on what is going right and ask the questions around why some actions may not be right.

Anticipate Roadblock and Obstacles. Just because someone if optimistic about an outcome does not me hey are oblivious to roadblocks or obstacles. As a matter of fact, we anticipate them. Once you identify and acknowledge what potential roadblocks and obstacles are, you can learn about how to face them, navigate around the, or avoid them altogether if possible.

“Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.” – Ralph Marston

You may be saying to yourself, “These expectations seem high. I do not know if I can achieve them.” Studies have shown that people who set high expectations for themselves and others have obtained higher achievements. There is always an increase in motivation to rise to the challenge. Whereas, other said it increased their stress and led to disappointment. Here is my challenge for you. All effort moves the needle. No effort means no action and no traction. Raise your expectations and efforts by at least 1% and expect to achieve higher results. Anticipate success!! Get clear, decide, plan, and execute!

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Episode 94 – Creating Culture with Ken McCullough

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Meet Our Guest:

Ken McCullough never really fit in anywhere and you might think that that would be a bad thing but actually it isn’t. Not finding his niche with other people allowed him to live, to think and to dream outside the box, to imagine that he could be whatever he wanted to be because his box has no walls.

So now he’s an entrepreneur pursuing ways to make the world a better place while making a living, it’s the freedom that started in his heart when he was a kid.

He’s also a front man for a band called Revolution Engine, a band whose focus is social justice and being a voice to the voiceless, again, it’s the freedom that started in his heart when he was a kid.

And best of all, he’s a husband and dad whose focus is love, grace, gratitude, selflessness and teaching his family that there is no box.