Debra Kasowski, Author at Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 30: A Change of Plans

September 27, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 30: A Change of Plans

Life doesn’t always go as perfectly as we planned. There are times when our best intentions are met with disaster or misunderstandings. When life changes your plan, what do you do? As many of you know I have been writing my third book called Let’s Be Curious: How to Ask the Right Questions, Get Better Answers, and Make the Best Decisions™ which was due to come out November 2016. There has been a change of plans – the book will now be released September 2017. What happened? A change of plans…

What Happened?

Six months ago, I committed to writing this book. During this time frame, I have worked on the book that I put aside all workshops and limited networking activities. The book was in pre-launch and I was so proud that I had 13 people pre-buy the book. In discussions with my business coach – Colin Sprake, it was suggested that I postpone the launch of my new book to September 2017.

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My first reaction was “You want me to do what?” My business coach suggested that I spend the next 12 months building my following through networking, host my workshops, speaking and developing my podcast. Questions flooded my mind, “What about the 13 people who already purchased the book? What will they say or think? What does this say about who I am?” He recommended that I call each one and tell them that I have had a discussion with my business coach and that I would either offer them a refund or they could be one of the first to receive the book next year along with an added bonus for their patience. I have to tell you – I felt resistance.

I questioned where this resistance was coming from and I knew I need to gain a deep awareness. It has been my experience that asking questions is the best way to do this. What and why was I resisting? I’m one of those people that I feel that I can adapt and be quite flexible when faced with change. It wasn’t so much the change in plans of making the book come out a year later. It was calling those individuals and letting them know that there was a change. Normally, I would not think to share a change of plans as to be such a big deal. What I do know is I like to stick to promises that I make and I deliver on my word. I knew this resistance was because I was concerned about aligning with my values – one of integrity.

Words of Wisdom

My business coach reminded me that I wasn’t acting out of integrity. I was doing the right thing at the right time not only for me but also for the people receiving the book. You see during the six months I had been saying “no” to more things instead of “yes” to things that were important to me. I was still involved in my kids’ activities that there were times when I wanted to do things and said “no” as I needed to focus on writing. So for one thing – this change plan actually allows me to build a richer book with more thought-provoking content where I can share some of those growing edges. I reminded myself that my publisher had once said to me, “Debra a book is ready on its own time. You can’t force it.” I’ve carried that saying with me to remind me that the time will be right. Even though I was nervous about calling each of the 13 people, especially since one person had just bought the book the night before, I knew it was the right thing. Whether I contacted them by e-mail or by phone, every single person wanted to stay on the list and they wanted to be one of the first to receive the book September 2017. They were so gracious and very excited to be a part of this journey. They were understanding and kind. What I realized is that I was being very hard on myself and I shared my concern regarding it integrity with one of my followers and she said, “We know your reputation for delivering on your word. There are no concerns. We just want the great content.” This was most comforting to me. I am grateful.

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We all come to places of transition. I know plans change all the time and I also know that I have a tendency to love to be in control of all of that and sometimes it’s not the best thing. It made sense to adjust the course and in the big picture of things, this is one small adjustment that could be the biggest difference in my business but also for the people were waiting to read this book. I am very excited about this book because the more I share the concept with people and my enthusiasm; the more they are excited about receiving a copy.

There are two quotes that caught my attention that I needed to share with you:

“Don’t let your plans or goals become more important than yourself, or the ones you care about!” Jose N Harris.

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” ~ Confucius

The one thing I noticed the most, the day after calling every single person reaching out to them in some way that I had contact information for, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was calmer and more connected with those around me as I wasn’t continuously thinking, “When I might can a squeeze in the time to write today?” When plans change all we’re doing is adjusting the course, I am the one who is adjusting the course and doing what works best for me instead of allowing outside circumstances to do it for me.

I want to share this with you in this podcast because everyone faces a change of plans or is in the place of transition that they didn’t think that they be in. Each one of us faces uncertainty and inner resistance. It is important to ask ourselves questions to understand where this fear is coming from and why are you we resisting? What we resist persists! If you continue to align with your values when you make a decision, you will always be at peace. Sometimes we’re so close to a situation, it takes a business coach friend or mentor to shift our perspective to see clearly again. I am so excited for the upcoming months in finishing off this book to deliver some my best work and reward those were patiently waiting. In the meantime, be curious about the world. Ask tons of questions! It is okay to have a change of plans especially it gets you closer to where you want to be.

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

Time 9:46 min

Keywords: Colin Sprake, business coach, mentorship, change management, change of plans, self-awareness, dealing with inner resistance, fear of uncertainty, facing uncertainty, curiosity, asking questions, build your tribe, build your following, book launch, adjust the plan, sense and adjust, quotes about plans, quotes, leadership. Personal mastery

EPISODE 29: Quit Playing the Waiting Game

September 22, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 29: Quit Playing the Waiting Game

Are you waiting for the day that success come to you? Are you hoping for that perfect moment when everything in the world seems to align? Do you dream about having enough money for the right time to purchase a house or go after your dreams? Life is too short to play the waiting game. Many people are waiting on something: there waiting to hear for got the job, they’re waiting to see the proposal was accepted, or they may be waiting for a diagnosis. Some people are waiting for someone else to deliver their happiness. I have taken care of many patients in my nursing career to realize that if you want something you need to go after it. There is no perfect moment only in the moments of experiences you create. The right time is now for taking action. You can prepare and plan and adjust as you go because what you envision as that perfect moment may never come. The waiting game ends up being a trap. What are you waiting for?

We all face uncertainties and life has no guarantees. The only guarantee that I will guarantee you do that if you do nothing you get nothing. In today’s podcast of that address three areas in which I find that people are waiting:

Come rescue me. People are waiting for someone to come and rescue them or to give them an opportunity and because you are waiting you take no action. You may be waiting a long time. It is been my experience those people who are taking action and putting in the effort it is these people who get recognized and promoted were offered opportunities because they have showcased their skills talents and abilities and knowledge. They don’t wait-they take the initiative. This is what makes them stand out from the crowd.

Waiting for perfection. These people wait for everything to be just perfect. If you wait for everything to be perfect you may never take action. Perfection is another form of procrastination. It can delay projects and even missed deadlines. Excuses start to come up for reasons why you can’t meet expectations. It’s important to focus on your progress versus perfection. While you’re waiting for everything to be perfect, others can be taking action and surpassing you. Start focusing on your progress and each step that you take and you will build a momentum.

Waiting for the right time. Some say timing is everything. There often is no perfect time but we can create our own opportunities. Sometimes this can be a way of avoiding responsibility or accountability. The right time to take action is always now. Do your due diligence and minimize your risks. Move forward with intention.

Quit waiting for happiness to come to you. Quit waiting for the dream job to come to you. If you wait, you may be waiting a long time. Set some goals and work toward it. Nothing happens unless you take action.

Thanks for joining us on The Millionaire Woman Show today. I would love to hear how you have taken actions to make your goals become reality. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com we would love to hear from you. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Give us a 5-star rating! Sign up for our Newsletter www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 6.49 min

Keywords: stop waiting for happiness, stop waiting for him, stop waiting for things to happen, waiting for success, waiting, quit waiting, playing the waiting game, perfection, procrastination, progress versus perfection, facing uncertainty, still waiting

EPISODE 28: COMMIT TO LIFELONG LEARNING

September 20, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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EPISODE 28: COMMIT TO LIFELONG LEARNING

For those who know me, you know that I am a constant state of learning. I’m looking up information, listening to podcasts, and I always have a book on the go. I consider myself a student for life and I want to encourage you to do the same. The world is in a constant rapid state of change and if you don’t learn and improve your skills you can become outdated very quickly.

No matter your profession whether you are an employee of an organization or business owner growing your business, you need to connect to a lifelong learning. I have gone to many conferences where you see people sign up for all the courses and webinars that are available. I wonder are they going to implement all of those things or are they caught up in the involvement of being part of those things.

54281617_s There is a big difference between being involved in something or committing to something. You may have heard the story about bacon and eggs. The pig was committed and the chicken was involved. Those who are committed and are putting in the work are the ones who will see a return on their investment. They don’t get caught up in comparing themselves with others and other distractions to their focused on their end game and they know that these distractions will just get in their way. Being committed means that you’re invested and you are giving 100% in whatever you do.

To stop learning, is to truly get old. One of my endgames is to live 103 years old and I want to be as sharp as a tack. I know in order to do so, one of the most important things I need to be doing is to be open to learning and being interested in the world. Someone once said that if you want your life to be interesting you need to be interesting. So in order to do so, you need to try new things and learn new ways of doing things. When you start doing different things and get involved in conversations, people will find you interesting. They will be curious about what you know and want to learn more about what you have to share.

Ask for feedback. The world gives you continuous feedback. We must start shifting our thinking from failing and making mistakes is bad things and instead view them as learning opportunities. How would you know if something would not work unless you made an attempt? Recently I made my first Facebook live video and needless to say I do have room for improvement. My video went sideways literally and when I went to publish it but you didn’t realize you could delete it was turned sideways. Did it stop me from publishing the content? No, the message was important and timely and it actually calls people’s attention to it wondering what I had done. Did I learn from it? Absolutely. I’m so proud that I followed the prompting of going ahead and doing it. It was great to see the interaction and the kindness of people teaching me how to use it properly.

When you look to people you know and trust, you can learn new ways of doing things as well as seeking to improve. By asking for feedback, you are opening the door of opportunity to elevate yourself to a new level. When you hear the feedback, you have a choice whether to accept or reject it or at least entertainment. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from what was shared with me?” Get feedback from someone who’s been in your situation before. This can save you a lot of time and money is you may learn mistakes that they have previously made which you can avoid.

Find a mentor. A mentor is someone who is been in the space that you are working to achieve. They can share a variety of experiences and mistakes in which you can learn and grow from. You do not have to be on this journey all alone.

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Get educated. So many people think that education is a formal process in the classroom. Life is education. Yes there are formal courses in which you need to grow and learn in different areas but not all education has to be within the doors of the classroom. With the Internet, there should be no excuses in committing to lifelong learning. There are so many websites with free resources in which you can fill in the gaps and hone your skills. There are programs like Coursera, Udemy, and TedTalks to guide and teach you new things from positive psychology to social media marketing. There are podcasts, YouTube videos, and articles available at your fingertips. What is most important is that you integrate what you learned how you show up in the world and what you do.

Thanks to the Internet, the excuses of needing money to get educated or purchase books or getting to classes no longer stand. You can take books out from the library for free. There is a way to get to what you want if you just into your resources. You don’t need to know everything or claim to. The most successful people know where the resources are and utilize them. They reach out to experts. They are open to new ideas and perspectives. People look for better ways to streamline what they currently do.

Get hands-on. Many people learn by doing. When you take the initiative to follow through and try new things, you create new experiences. You are actually taking action and learning as you go. You can adjust when you need to and carry-on.

Make a plan each day to learn. Take notes from articles and books that you read and decide what it is that you’re going to implement into how you show up in the world. You have everything you need to succeed truly at your fingertips and it was in the world that you live in right now it all depends on how you plan to use.

Thanks for joining us on The Millionaire Woman Show today. I would love to hear how you have committed to lifelong learning e-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com we would love to hear from you. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Give us a 5-star rating! Sign up for our Newsletter www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 10.36 min

Keywords: learning, education, life is education, constant learning, commit to lifelong learning, self-improvement, pursuit of learning, practice, constant improvement, commitment, involvement, lifelong learning in nursing, lifelong learning quotes, lifelong learning plan, library, new skill, teaching, instruction, knowledge, academic skills, self-development, creative thinking, learning experience, learning opportunity, communication skills, online learning, learning strategies

How Successful Businesses and Organizations Avoid Common Pitfalls

September 18, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

When people feel pressured by the economic times, they are often doing more with less. They can fall into common pitfalls that can be avoided. They have a number of issues and concerns that absorb the majority of their time and because of they are multi-tasking many important things some things that need to be dealt with getting pushed aside and lead to larger problems later on, such as dealing with conflict or tracking results. They tend to be short on time and feel that they have limited resources and because of this they become short-sighted and only think short term. They fail to recognize that everything that they need is within their reach.

You might think that this is a big claim; however, by using a positive approach to change called Appreciative Inquiry businesses and organizations can get more creative in how they approach uncertainty and the change process. Appreciative Inquiry gives businesses and organizations the permission to dream and design an ideal future by tapping into their greatest resource – their people.

People come from all walks of life carrying with them different levels of knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences. Imagine what would happen if you tap the into the best experiences and the richness of a person’s story and learn their strengths what that could do for your business or organization. Appreciative Inquiry uses a method of applying what people appreciate and from this, we can discover ways in which we can build it into our current existence and work toward the preferred future.

The process creates a vision for people to believe in and they will have a vested interest in helping your business or organization grow and achieve its goals. This approach gives people an opportunity to participate and engage in a whole new way. This is an opportunity for all levels of an organization to work together and learn together in pursuit of a common vision. Individuals want to believe they can be part of something so much bigger than their current everyday workload. Even though people are working with potentially fewer resources, appreciative inquiry gives them the opportunity to be creative and innovative with a new approach.

We can learn so much by asking positive questions. If people start to vent because they’ve had a poor experience, there is a lesson to be found. They obviously have the vision of what would be the preferred experience. By learning from this experience, and a new way of doing things can be discovered. Skeptics of appreciative inquiry may believe that because we are not focused on the weaknesses and threats facing businesses and organizations that we cannot achieve the greatness of our vision. However, as in positive psychology, you tend to get more of what you focus on. If your focus is on strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results you will be much further ahead because that’s what you will be focused on.

Business and organizational leaders will learn that they don’t have to do everything by themselves and that their people can be trusted to carry through on the vision with their knowledge, skills, abilities, and most of all experiences. They don’t need to do everything by themselves and be the Lone Ranger. They can delegate to people who are skilled and have the expertise to carry through on projects. It is important for business and organizational leaders to have an understanding of how to do something but it does not mean they need to do it. They spend their time being the employee or the technician they are working in the business or organization versus on it and this will limit their growth. They need to be spending their time where their talents and efforts need to be placed in order for things to grow.

Take time to ask yourself what you appreciate. What are some of your best experiences? How can you learn from them? How would this help you avoid some of the common pitfalls that you catch yourself falling into? If someone gave you the permission to dream, what would you ask for?

EPISODE 27: Going the Extra Mile

September 15, 2016 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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Episode 27 – Going the Extra Mile

“You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service than you are now being paid for.”

– Napoleon Hill

Going the extra mile – what does it mean to you? Whether you are looking to climb the corporate ladder or create a pipeline of customers, you may want to consider going the extra mile. When people are thinking of others who go the extra mile, the qualities of consistency and commitment to what matters often is what makes them stand out. People who go the extra mile are often doing ordinary things but what they do is do a little bit extra and that truly separates them and makes everything extraordinary.

Have you ever experienced someone going the extra mile? This is often an interview question that is used when people are hiring to determine how willing someone is to put in the effort required to make it impact on someone. Years ago in my nursing career, I remember looking after a lady who had been in the hospital for two weeks and she was anxious to be going home. That morning when I came to her room she was quite upset. The doctors had told her she needed to stay at least another 2 to 3 days because she wasn’t ready to go home yet. Tearfully, she said to me,” I just want to see the sunshine.” I knew that we could not take her off the unit to go outside because she had been on a heart monitor. During my break, I was walking through the gift shop, and I noticed a beautiful yellow carnation so I purchased it for her. I took it to her room and said I know I can’t take you to the sunshine that I can take the sunshine to you and this is your SUN. She was overjoyed. It was something so simple and I didn’t really think it was very much but to her, it meant the world. It made me feel good because I was able to turn someone’s bad day into something more positive.

Going the extra mile doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Sometimes all it is a listening ear or spending time with someone. The extra mile that I have experienced often came from someone putting in a lot more effort than what others were willing to do. They were always looking for a solution and finding a way to make something work. They do this with a positive attitude and without complaining.

Have you noticed what happens when you go the extra mile? People start to notice you and the take notice of what you’re doing. When people start seeing you going above and beyond, whether it is assisting others are gaining new knowledge, and apply in your area – they notice. You become indispensable. If layoffs were to arise, you be the one they will want to hang onto. You can be the first person they look to for promotion or new opportunity. Going the extra mile is doing so without an expectation. Even though you’re doing this without expectation there may come a time where you feel like you would like to ask for or negotiate a raise. This will be the time when you can demonstrate the efforts that you have put in and the results you helped achieve. Many people choose to do what they’re required to do the bare minimum but few choose to go above and beyond.

There are several ways in which you can go above and beyond. The marketplace is crowded you start thinking outside the box and putting in the effort getting the greatest return on your investment of your time, money, resources, and sharing your unique gifts.

One of the easiest ways to go the extra mile is to ask if you can help others. Learn to be of service. Discover ways that you can help. Jump in and help out. Take initiative.

Don’t overwhelm yourself. Delegate where you can for efficiency sake. Some people believe that if they work longer hours this means they’re going the extra mile if this is done consistently you can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction.

Find ways to work smarter by beginning with the end in mind. Listen to Episode 26: Start With Your End Game. Plan out what you need to do and be consistent with your approach.

Pay attention to the details, not just the big picture. Discover ways to create that wow factor.

Create an element of surprise! Do the unexpected.

What’s stopping you from doing the unexpected and surprising others?

Call 3 to 5 of your current clients today and asked them how they are and if they have anything that the need of service from you.

Take time to write handwritten thank you notes or send small gifts of appreciation.

Years ago one of my realtors used to give out pumpkin pies to all of her clients at Thanksgiving. It was a lot more memorable than a calendar. Find ways to be memorable and your customers will be your champions and spread the word.

Send an article or magazine of interest related to a previous conversation or something that you like about them. Let them think, “Wow, they remembered – I can’t believe it.”

Take extra care in wrapping a gift and making it extra special instead of tossing it into a gift bag.

When reading a book or listening to a podcast, e-mail the host or author to let them know how you enjoyed it.

Share a shout out on social media and be specific about why someone stood out for you.

I would love to hear about how you go above and beyond or ways in which you felt you were provided with service above and beyond. 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. Give us a 5-star rating! Sign up for our Newsletter www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 9:08 min

Keywords: Going the extra mile, success, go above and beyond, customer service, extra effort, workplace, paying attention to details, ordinary to extraordinary, go the extra mile, going the extra mile in customer service, going the extra mile in the workplace