Debra Kasowski

Why Asking Others Opinions Might Not Be a Good Idea

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Why is it a problem to ask for another person’s opinion? Doesn’t outside feedback help you in your business? How can one opinion influence my behaviour? There may be many reasons to get feedback to change or adjust your course of action but another person’s opinion can be detrimental at times.

When asking the opinions of others is not a good idea:

  1. People Pleasing. If you are asking someone’s opinion just so you can please them you are heading for disaster. Sad to say, not everyone will have your interest at heart. You need to follow what you feel is right and be true to your values and what is important to you.
  2. You Cannot Make a Decision. If you allow others to make decisions for you, you may eventually regret it as you are giving away your power. You also make not like what the decisions result may be. Do not look at blaming the person you asked – you need to take responsibility for the final decision. Ensure you get what you want – you make the decision!
  3. You Have Not Thought Out Your Plan.  Shortcuts may work for some people but not all. You need to be clear on the outcome you desire. Take time to re-read your articles. Review your plans and think about obstacles or objections. How will you solve them?  It is human nature for people to judge how strong someone’s abilities are. Let people see your strengths. Be prepared and practice if you need to.

Remember someone’s opinion is someone’s opinion. It is their perspective of how they view the world and how things should be, not yours. If you want to succeed, you need to showcase who you are! You already know what you need to do so reach out and do it. Be brave and courageous – please yourself, make a decision, and make a plan to be YOU!

 

Spark a Little Creativity into Your World

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Have you ever watched a three or four year old colour a picture? They usually chose all sorts of colours for the colour of the sky, trees, or grass – even a snowman can be rainbow coloured. Sometimes I think we get caught up in what our reality is and what colours actually are that we lose some of the creativity by blending into the norm. How fun is that? You want to stand out from the crowd and showcase how you serve others differently.

Here are 3 Ways to Spark Some Creativity into Your World:

  1. Chase Your Passion. Look for the possibilities of what  you have to offer others. What would your ideal client want to by from you? Why are you unique? What gets you excited each day and does not feel like work? Brainstorm all the ideas and write them down.
  2. Allow Yourself to Make Mistakes. The most creative and innovative ideas were often born from mistakes. You can readjust until you get things to be the way you want them.
  3. Try New Things. We are creatures of habit. We get comfortable. You need to step out of your comfort zone, travel to new places, and experience new things. You gain a better insight into the lives of others and how you can best serve them when you get out of your immediate surroundings.

Splash some colour into your world by allowing yourself to experience your life and business a whole new way. Keep your curiosity about you and try things differently that are true to who you are and what you value. Being creative does not mean being someone else, it means doing things your way. Create and design the life and business you want!

What is on your canvas?

 

Develop the Can-Do Attitude that Attracts Clients

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Have you ever met someone who has a can do attitude? Have you ever asked someone to do complete a task and they said, “I can do it.”? Have you ever wished more people knew how to cultivate this attitude? The “can-do” attitude seems to be a lot rarer than we think but can accelerate your business in a big way.

Do you know any “can-doers?” in your life? We have a lot to learn from them.

Can-doers:

  • enjoy helping others
  • are confident
  • thrive on the personal challenge of taking on a task
  • look beyond obstacles and see the big vision – the end result
  • solution-focused
  • are optimistic
  • focus their mind on getting things done
  • are good at planning out and preparing their next move
  • are willing to risk making a mistake for they know that they will learn in the process

How does a can-doer attract more clients? Why would you hire a can-doer? First of all, they are enthusiastic about taking on the challenge of serving you. Secondly, they usually have a track record of success because they are confident in their abilities. Thirdly, a can-doer radiates an energy you cannot help but want to be around.

How can you develop your can-do attitude? Believe in what you offer your clients. You might be saying to yourself – but of course I do otherwise I would not be in business. I have met people who are in business but they do not fully believe in what they are selling or they lack confidence in themselves and their ability to sell their product. Learn about your product. Speak passionately about your product or service when speaking to to others. Offer your client solutions to the problems they may be encountering. Discuss the possibilities – will it save them more time, help them live a healthier lifestyle, or get things done. Take a leap of action and own your attitude – take responsibility for your actions steps and adjust as you go.

The attitude you chose each day makes a difference. Those who make a difference say “I can!” Will you?

How does one’s attitude affect what you do?

How Are You Coping With The Challenges in Your Life and Business?

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There are days you may be asking yourself, “Is this really worth it? Every time I turn around a new obstacle or problem shows up.” I have had days like these. Sometimes I wish I could have hid under the covers and read a good book instead. What does that solve? Not much but a great idea – very tempting, I know. The challenges usually come down to people, money, time, and care or maintenance of property. You may come up with few others. Many challenges can be anticipated or even solved before they arise. Be proactive and think about some of the challnges that could come your way. Plan out some of the solutions.

How do you cope when challenges come your way? Challenges and obstacles often appear to test how badly we want something or to teach us lessons where we need to readjust our plans. Let me share a few ways that I cope with this obstacles.

  1. Breathe. Take a deep breath slowly in through your nose and out through your month. You may want to do this 5-10 times. This will help calm those nerves.
  2. Assess the situation. What are potential solutions? What do I know I could do right now? Do I need to consult anyone or ask for help?
  3. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes. Focus on what your obstacle is and the desired outcome you wish to have. Pay attention to your “gut” instinct. Learn to listen to what your intuition tells you.
  4. Go for a walk. Physical activity can really help clear the mind and help you focus your energy on finding a solution.
  5. Ask for help. When in doubt, ask a trust friend, colleague, mentor, or coach for guidance. They can sometimes see what we cannot because we are so close to the situation.

Know that you are not alone. You have what it takes to get through, around, or over the obstacles that come your way. Everyone faces challenges and obstacles. The decision lies in whether or not you are strong enough to face the challenge.

What coping strategies do you use to face the challenges that come your way?

 

Are You Having Trouble Coming Up With Fresh Content for Your Ezine?

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Many woman entrepreneurs have been telling me that they are having trouble coming up with ideas or content for their newsletters. I was in the same position when I started out a couple years ago. I would have a burst of energy and power write a couple articles and fit one into my ezine then I would hit a plateau. Sound familiar?

How do you juggle family and keeping up with an ezine? Juggling a family and a business can be trying when you are trying to keep breast on the latest and greatest content for your readers. There were some late nights and some nights I would only write one paragraph at a time but the ezine got done. You make it work for you. Consistency is definitely something to work towards.

Where can I get ideas for fresh content? One of the first places I would tell you to go is your blog. Re-purpose your blog. Change the title and reword a few lines here and there. You might even dig deeper into some of the tips and techniques you share. You may also want to check out what others in the same industry as you are talking about on their blogs or websites. Pay attention to some of the comments posted by readers. The comments may generate a few solutions you could write about. Write a book review or recommendation about one of the books you just read and share the lessons you took away from it with your audience. Make sure you Tweet or Facebook the author – I am sure they would appreciate your feedback. Share some of your challenges or celebrations you have encountered while running your business. What are some of the headlines of the magazines you read? What are your audience’s needs or what questions do they need answers to? Be the solution. If you are really stuck, send out a survey and ask your readers what they want or need to know!  Content is everywhere. What you think is simple, someone is still learning.

Is there a system to creating content? Just as a story is prepared, so is your content. You should have an introduction to your topic, 3-5 tips you plan to share and expand on, and a conclusion summarizing your key points. Suggest a challenge, a call to action, or even a question that will facilitate thought so that the reader with continue to think about your message and even share it. Save quotes and articles that interest you. These topics can also stimulate ideas for fresh valuable content.

Decide how frequently you want to send out your ezine – weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Select a theme or topic you want to touch on for the month and then break it down. This exercise will help you stay motivated and keep focused on creating content for your ezine. Creating content can be fun and profitable especially when it grabs your readers’ attention.

Please share how you create content for your ezine.