Debra Kasowski, Author at Debra Kasowski

Episode 74: Style Your Way to Success with Karen Dorland

February 28, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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Meet Our Guest:

Karen Dorland is owner of Image Connections. Karen is an Image Consultant, a Fashion Feng Shui Facilitator and Reiki Master.

She helps people dress to honour their Spirit, and to attract more of what they want in life, so they can continue their journey with confidence, self-worth, passion, joy and most importantly… self-love.

Karen teaches her clients how to bring their personality and inner joie de vivre to the outside, to be expressed in their appearance.

Your clothing speaks volumes about you…without you saying a word… what messages are your clothes and accessories sending?

However, she says, if you are not bringing balance into your life, stress can show on the outside as lines on your face and low energy. Reiki can assist in connecting the inside and outside, so what you say, look and feel, are congruent.

Karen retired from teaching elementary school, teaching children from J.K. to children with Autism. She is excited to finally embrace being able to bring her healing gifts and wholistic approach of Image Consulting to people on a full-time basis

Look for her online programs, “Set Your GPS to Love,” coming in the fall of 2017 and “Set Your GPS to Fantabulous,…7 Style steps to looking Savvy, Sexy and Stylish, releasing in MARCH 2017.

Follow Karen on Facebook at Image Connections, for her weekly videos full of timely tips.

5 ‘TED Talks’ Every Entrepreneur Must Watch

February 26, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

The most successful business owners and entrepreneurs know it is important to commit to lifelong learning to be successful. One of the most accessible curated variety of resources lies in TED Talks. TED Talks are a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas and they cover a wide range of topics in business, technology, educations and so much more. I was fortunate to attend one a few years ago and was inspired by many of the speakers’ journeys and messages. I hope one day I too will share an idea worth spreading in a TED Talk.

Entrepreneurs think much differently than the average person. They are willing to take risks and can size up a situation quickly. They are open to learning and trying out new ideas. They know that they must shift their mindset at a moments notice when faced with rejection. There are TED Talk ideas that speak directly to the heart of the entrepreneur that every entrepreneur needs to watch.

SIMON SINEK: START WITH WHY

Powerful Quote:
“Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. By WHY I mean your purpose, cause or belief – WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.” – Simon Sinek, Start with Why

Lesson: Discover Your Why for Doing What You Do

GARY VAYNERCHUK: Building a Personal Brand Within the Social Media Landscape

Powerful Quotes:

“Legacy is greater than currency.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

“We only get to play this game once. ONE LIFE.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

Lesson: Believe in what you do. Quit doing things you are not passionate about.

SETH GODIN: How to get your ideas spread

Powerful Quote:

“The thing that going to decide what gets talked about, what gets done, what gets purchased, what gets built is, “Is it remarkable?”…worth making a remark about.” – Seth Godin

Lesson: Decide if what you are doing and offering is worthing remarking on. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing.

MEL ROBBINS: How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over

Powerful Quote:

“It’s simple to get what you want BUT it’s not easy. You have to force yourself.” – Mel Robbins

“Anything that requires a break from routine requires force.” – Mel Robbins

“You kill your own ideas because you do not act on it.” – Mel Robbins

Lesson: Write down the ideas that come to you and decide what you are going to act on.

CARRIE GREEN: Programming Your Mind for Success

Powerful Quote:

“Success is NO accident. Living an incredible life is NO accident. You have to do it on purpose. And it starts by knowing exactly what it is you want to achieve. Knowing why you want to achieve it. Knowing the kind of person you need to become in order to make it happen and then programming your mind to make it happen.” Carrie Green

Lesson: Be intentional with your actions. Program your mind with the belief that no matter what comes your way. You will figure it out.

Entrepreneurs need to be connected with their “why” and be able to focus on positive and empowering thoughts so they can get the results they are wanting to achieve. Success is about putting in the work or “hustle” as Gary Vaynerchuk puts it. You must be willing to put in uncommon dedication, commitment, and hours that when you work for someone else that you would not do. It is about making yourself do the things you know you should do but do necessarily “feel” like doing. You need to do it anyway in order to move forward. Stay committed to life-long learning and the application of put new ideas into practice. At the end of the day, you will turn the ordinary into extraordinary and you will become remarkable! People will be compelled to remark on their experience or connection with you.

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 73 – Something Is Better Around the Corner

February 23, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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It can be disheartening when you put in so much effort in only to not get the results that you were hoping for. Country singer, Garth Brooks has a song called Unanswered Prayers. This song reminds me that there are reasons why things do not sometimes turn out the way we want them to. He talks about how some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. You can substitute the Universe or whatever you believe in. Sometimes we do not always understand them – we have to trust that there is something better around the corner. Just because something you were hoping for like the big deal or the promotion did not become a reality does not mean you will not get a big deal or get a promotion or get to the next level. It means that this door or this opportunity was not meant for you. You cannot force things to happen.

When disappointments or obstacles occur, you have a choice to react or to respond. Instead of staying in the space of negativity, reframe and shift your thinking. Think about a time when no matter what your efforts were, you did not get the results you wanted. Did you think of something? How long did you dwell on the thought? Are you still holding onto it…I hope not? You need to realize by taking action you are demonstrating a quality that few people are willing to do – take action. It takes courage to take action towards your goal or dream. The actions you take are getting you set up for success.

It is easy to be devastated and stay in the space of negativity rather than STOPPING your thoughts and saying. “Hey there, I need to ask questions so I can learn from this so I can improve or take different actions.” You can spend your time wallowing or you can make a renewed commitment to taking a new action to get a different result. Do you need to take a course, interview someone, or experiment with the instructions?

Start taking action! Actions create momentum, which carry you forward to the next action. Even if you fail 2-3 times, it can take one breakthrough to propel you further than you would have got should you have stopped putting in the effort. People often give up when they are so close to achievement because they get caught up in self-doubt or worry about it never working out. They think about the embarrassment. What will other people think? Again, I want to stress you are further ahead than most people, as most people are not willing to take the risk need to get the results they need to.

There may also be times that you may not have taken action because of your need for approval or acceptance. Someone may have said something to you to discourage you based on their own beliefs and willingness to take risks. You didn’t do anything because you wanted everyone to like you. You need to have trust and faith in your capability and ability to make things become a reality. Give yourself credit for how far you have come so far. You are not the same person you were a year ago. There are more good things in your future they are not reserved for the affluent.

Don’t get side-tracked by the “comparison trap” and discounting the knowledge, skills, and abilities you have. Instead of being jealous, appreciate and recognize the person you are comparing yourself to. Jealousy is an unproductive emotion. What can you learn about this person’s success that you may be able to emulate in your own way? Take a moment or two to acknowledge and accept yourself for what you offer. Don’t fall into a negative spiral of emotion for everything in life is in a temporary state whether it is positive or negative. You always have a choice of what you will choose and if it doesn’t work out as planned…learn and grow from it and put it into perspective – something is better around the corner. Something better suited, at the right time, and at the right place is coming my way! Stay positive and focused with intention – you can achieve great things.

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!

Time: 10:57 min

Keywords: this or better, uncertainty, worry, anxiety, self-acceptance, confidence, building confidence, comparison trap, something is better around the corner, this or something better

Episode 72 – Sell the Experience

February 21, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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I have to admit when I first dived into the entrepreneurial world I did not know much about sales. I thought you make a product and you introduce a service – and you simply share it with the world. I had a few sales here and there. I had a lot to learn and I am continuously learning…it was much different than health care yet there were some similarities. The similarities have to do with how you feel when you feel that you have been taken care of and people really care about you.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” ― Zig Ziglar

In health, they do care about whether or not you know what you are doing. What stands out the most is if you truly come from a place of caring you are going to want to the best for someone. You will ensure you know what you are doing and that you care about them as a person. The same goes for sales.

It is easy to say, “Look, I just want that product or that service.” What you really want is what the product or service will do for you! It is your job to find out what they need and want and be able to share how they will feel when they get it. During the past several months, I have devoured recommended books in sales from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Bible to Larry Pinci and Phil Glosserman’s Selling the Feeling Series. They have been absolutely powerful game-changers to the way I will approach the sales conversation. I love creating memorable experiences for others and discovering their true need. When I coach business owners and executives, I enjoy helping them step into who they see themselves to be.

Imagine that you had someone help you reach some of the goals you long for. A person who helped you take a look at your situation and get really clear about where you want to go and created a detailed plan in partnership. That would be pretty cool right? Now you would be ready to take action and start getting results. That is what a coach does PLUS hold you accountable for the results you want to achieve.

Too many people focus on this is what it does – great but your customer wants to know what it will do for them. What are the benefits they will reap from having your product or service? Let’s use the example of having a cleaning company come in once every two weeks. They tell you they will clean your home for a minimum of 3 hours at a certain rate. If the price factor or the time factor is most valuable, it will be important to that person. Find out why hiring your company is important to them. Will it give them more time to spend with their family or allow them to work on a hobby they have been passionate about? If so, address that specific reason. What will it feel like to have more time? What will you do with the extra time? Let them absorb and feel the feeling. People make their purchasing decisions based on emotions. Some of you may think that is being manipulative…NO WAY! You may want to examine where the trigger came from – perhaps it is from an experience or belief you have had. What you are really doing is – helping people get what they want; it allows them to connect with what they want or the vision they have for themselves.

One of the other lessons that I have learned was about letting your best customer be your champions as you champion them. I enjoy receiving written, audio, and video testimonials. They are so powerful and they are a great way for the people you work with to cross-promote their business while sharing your gratitude with others. When people are in a state of appreciation, it is a great time to ask if they know of anyone who would benefit from the services you provided them. Ask them to share their experience with others.

A powerful quote I want to leave you with is this:

“There are people who love you and love the work you do that have people they love that love them too, who need to love you.” Larry Pinci and Phil Glosserman

Focus on the relationships and continue to build connections. Create the experience of what people will achieve after working with you – be memorable and provide those powerful solutions that you deliver on. Focus on creating an experience and how you will be the solutions in providing the benefits they are looking for. You never know who will benefit from them. I want to encourage you never stop learning and taking the time to see what works for you. You never know when or where your next breakthrough will occur.

Time: 09:03 min

Keywords: sales, filling your pipeline, sell the experience, sell the feeling, connections, relationships, sales conversations

9 Unconventional Ways to Showcase Your Business in the Marketplace

February 17, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

If you are running a business, you should be spending most of your time focused on sales and marketing NOT on operational functions. We tend to get caught up in the operations making sure that everything is functioning like a machine. It is easy to feel exhausted by the end of the day and then realize that you did not put in the time into your sales and marketing efforts. You need to be doing one action step every day or else you can become irrelevant quickly.

Your marketing efforts do not have to take up every waking moment. It does need to be intentional and you need to create a strategy for execution. No matter what economy you are in, people are buying and selling products and services that meet their needs. It is up to you to share why they should choose you.

Sometimes you need to put a spin on an old marketing strategy and sometimes you need to stick with the tried and true. Constantly test to see what works and what doesn’t. Ensure that you are measuring your results. What gets measured, can be managed.

Facebook Live – Allows you to interact with your audience in real time. You can make your business come alive versus people just seeing a traditional advertisement. Don’t be afraid to showcase your business by offering tips, tricks, strategies and solutions to common problems. Share milestones and celebration by allowing people to be a part of the action. Better yet, the low-cost marketing phenomenon with boost your credibility and your presence in the marketplace.

Host a Charity Event – Giving Back to the Community is one way to build your reputation as a go-giver. There is no better PR than sharing what is happening the in the community and who is – doing good!

Collaborate with Others to Cross Promote – If you are selling candles, you may want to collaborate with someone who sells bath bombs and soaps to create that “spa” experience for your customers. Discover ways to create win-win solutions.

Sponsor a Local Event – Supporting your local business mixer gives you an opportunity to take step into the spotlight. Sponsors of events of usually receive public recognition and they are advertised in the marketing of the event.

Write An Article Or Blog For Your Website. Showcase yourself and position yourself as the expert in your field and the benefits people will gain by working with you. People are always asking themselves, “What is in it for me?” ask others to share your post with their audience.

Offer an Information Night. Find a sponsor or a low-cost space where you can share information to your audience on a pressing topic. By doing so you are giving people, a way to sample your work. You building rapport and the “know, like, trust” you factor before anyone will do business with you.

Volunteer at Conferences or Networking Events. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and learn about what your audience is involved in and doing. You can make some great connections by being a part of the team putting on the event. The community is already there for you to start connecting with people and building those relationships. It is also a great way for you to step out of your comfort zone and do something new.

Build Your Online Persona. Get known as the go to resource for information. Share your articles, blogs, and ideas. Share curated content that is relevant to audience. Don’t be afraid to comment and offer tips and valuable information when responding to comments, posts, or online forums.

Offer Testimonials or Give Provide Referrals to the People Your Do Business With. What a better way to promote your business than promoting the people you do business with. Building and nurturing relationships are important in business. There is nothing more powerful than social proof and getting results.

Thanks to creativity and innovation most of the unconventional ways to grow your business are low-cost and can make a big impact. The biggest obstacle is that you could be getting in your own way by thinking you need to follow traditional marketing and sales strategies. Sometimes all it takes is trying out something new and see where it takes you. Exposure is the way people get to know about you and your business.