Debra Kasowski

Episode 112 – Money Mastery with Elena Forbes

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BNslYcAi_A[/embedyt]

Meet Our Guest:

Elena J. Forbes is a profit strategist she works with entrepreneurs and professionals to learn how to grow their wealth and cash flow to achieve an abundant lifestyle. She empowers clients to fully understand their numbers, eliminate money leaks and debts and create a wealth plan so they can invest in anything they want and stand out as leaders in their industries.

Elena went from being a young single mother living in low-income housing, to becoming debt-free, owning her own home as well as a cash flowing rental property, and co-owns a 7-figure business. Elena has become the go-to expert for entrepreneurs and professionals to learn her step-by-step formula to go from running a stressful business to efficiently building profit and wealth in your company and in your life.

She believes that financial empowerment is the key to having everything YOU want and no matter where you are today, you can achieve this level of wealth and cash flow success!

Episode 111 – Setting Boundaries

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaV8aAFvUnY[/embedyt]

“We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing. Consequences give us the pain that motivates us to change.”
― Henry Cloud

Boundaries are set to create clear separations between yourself and others. They are created so you can honour your needs and self respect. When you set boundaries, you are telling others what you want and what to expect. The best way to set boundaries is to do some self-reflection. Pay attention to how you feel. Do you feel stress? Resentful? Angry? Frustrated? Taken Advantage of? You need to give yourself the permission to take care of you first.

Pay attention to your own thoughts before you take notice of others. Your first step in setting boundaries may mean that you need to shut down your own negative thinking. Are you taking things personally? Do you believe that your circumstance is permanent? If so, you are stuck in a rut. You will not find a way out until you shift your thinking and realize that a persona’s response comes from their own experiences and perception. You need to discover what that is and challenge any assumptions you may be having and get some clarification. There may be a misunderstanding. Life is fluid. Good and bad circumstances are temporary. The way you choose to respond and the choices you make will determine how long you stay in that state. Choose to do nothing and the longer you will be there. Choose to take action and you will have progress.

Identify what drains you. If you are not sure whether you need to set some boundaries, consider the people and places that drain you. The places may be noisy, dirty, or cluttered. The people may be miserable, gossipers, or complainers. They complain about their spouses or partners or they speak poorly about others identifying every flaw they can find. They complain about their boss. You may have increased demands placed on you because you are the expert in a certain area. These people may even be family members that call you to see if you can run errands, after all, if you work at home you must not be doing anything. At some point, you need to stop the madness!

Know you core values. Not only do you make better decisions when you know your core values, you can set boundaries more effectively because you know what you stand for. You know what you are willing to tolerate and what you are not willing to tolerate. Use your core values as your guideposts. If someone violates one of your core values, they need to know that there is a consequence. For example, if someone cheats or steals, they may be fired from a job or have criminal charges placed on them. Your values drive your results.

Remember you cannot change others, you can only change yourself. In Dr. Henry Cloud’s book, Boundaries for Leaders, he talks about how leaders get what they allow. You can choose to respond or reactive to any given circumstance. The one thing you can do to change the way you act toward them is to provide direct honest heart to heart communication. I know some organizations do like to talk about matters of the heart, however, being heart centred is about allowing people to express themselves and have a voice.

Here’s what you can do. If you do not like how someone is treating you, you can use the communication method often taught in emotional intelligence.

When you…

I feel…

What I want…

You start to focus on facts, express how you are feeling, and set expectations for the future. People will start changing their behavior and outcomes when they understand how it impacts others. I have used this method on many occasions and it saves many relationships. People often avoid sharing how it impacts them and what their needs are because they fear how the other person will react. I want to remind you what you think and feel is important. If you do not express yourself, you may become resentful because you feel taken advantage of. Communicate what you want and need. Others will respect you for setting limitations and feel that they have the permission to do the same.

Decide what the consequences are if someone crosses the line. If someone says that they are going to deliver on something and they don’t, there needs to be some consequence. A person’s actions should be stronger than their word to demonstrate how committed they are to your wants and needs. Consequences do not have to be negative. A positive consequence can be holding someone accountable for their actions and demonstrating that you believe in their capacity to change and become a leader. The consequence of not achieving a goal can be a positive consequence that also motivates a person to put in the work required to get there.

“When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice.”
― Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

Setting boundaries takes courage and practice. It gets easier over time. When people set boundaries, it creates a safe environment in which people feel comfortable to share and express themselves. By clearing communicating and setting boundaries, you will be able to be present and calm in the moment. Your quality of life also improves. You sleep better and face fewer distractions and you can separate events or circumstances from overflowing into what you are doing.

It is not “if” someone will cross your boundaries, it will be, “When?” How will you decide handle it?

We would love to have you subscribe 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 110 – Decluttering and Calming the Chaos with Sherry Borsheim

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4zj4Lh4vUA[/embedyt]

Podcast Resources

Viewers can reach our guest at:

www.simplyproductive.com | info@simplyproductive.com

FREE Masterclass “How to Organize Your Digital Workspace and Inbox to Power Up Your Productivity, Clarity, and Profits”  bit.ly/digitalcalm

Meet Our Guest:

Sherry Borsheim, founder of Simply Productive, creator of Calm Your Office Chaos and Calm Your Home Chaos online programs.  Her organizing strategies have transformed offices, homes and lives around the globe. In her own organizing journey she’s learned that there’s no cookie-cutter, one-size fits all solution to getting organized and that organizing is not a destination, it’s a journey and here’s why…

Life transitions happen. After being laid off at her corporate job it was her life ticket to pursue her dream of launching an organizing business. In the beginning there were many new systems and processes to be set up and as her business grew and the need to be mobile, she had to update her systems to work smarter, not harder.  Sherry was already highly organized and it was time to take her skills to the next level.

She also learned that what works for her may not work for someone else. Within the first year of business it was clear that paper clutter and filing systems was the #1 issue her clients had both at work and at home. Email and computer file clutter was a close second. Sherry knew from her experience that A to Z filing systems breakdown over time, company year ends create lots of archive boxes and gathering papers for tax time is very stressful for many people. So she set out to find a better solution.

Today, Sherry is the exclusive trainer for the Paper Tiger filing system and developed a certification program of experts. She’s helped 1000’s of businesses and homeowners set up filing and archive systems so they can find files fast and transform spaces faster than you can do it yourself! She also helped people get their Inbox to zero and establish best practices for email overload, records management and time management strategies to take their performance to the next level.

Sherry’s been featured on HGTV Makeover Wish, CKNW Radio and eWomenNetwork Radio. She is in other popular publications like The Huffington Post, Style at Home, BC Business, Staples, Martha Stewart Whole Living, The Globe and Mail, Women’s Health Magazine, Office Depot and The Vancouver Sun and The National Post. Her clients include entrepreneurs, executives, working moms, and her advice, products and training have been sought after by Vancity, Earls Restaurant, CPA Canada, National Research Council, Simon Fraser University, UBC, Western Economic Diversification, Small Business BC, Curves, Grand & Toy, BC Rail, First Nations Communities, Erickson College, HUB International, Mellon Financial, and 1000’s of people globally conquering their clutter.

Sherry is the Founder and Past Chair of Professional Organizers of Canada (BC Chapter), a Certified Professional Coach, and volunteers for Dress Success and church organizations.

EPISODE 109 – Focus on Your Own Game

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ9O-6i8u6w[/embedyt]

“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.” – Jack Canfield

Happy 1st Anniversary Episode! Grateful for our listeners and listeners for tuning and sharing this podcast. You are people step into their potential into the skin they are meant to be in! 

There are many opportunities to get sidetracked off your game. Your focus can be pulled in one direction by having one of your favorite songs come on the radio, a tragic news story, an invitation to the mall, or the latest gossip around the water cooler. You get distracted by economic times and the latest announcement in the office. It can get more challenging to stay focused and motivated when you get caught up in these distractions.

Internal and external barriers can be get the way too. The internal barriers are all the negative thoughts, past hurts, bad habits, and self-limiting beliefs that sabotage your success. The external barriers can be your social media and the news, environment, economical climate (to an extent), and influences such as family, friends, colleagues. When you learn to focus on your own game, you will push through any challenge or obstacle because you are not going to let it stop you from succeeding.

Get Clear on What It Is You are Wanting to Accomplish. The more focused you are, the clearer your path will be. You will start to make decisions with ease and conviction. There is no time for distractions to get you off your game plan.

Get Your Head in the Game. Your mindset is key. Pay attention to any of the negative thoughts or self-talk you are having – put them to an immediate stop! Cancel! Cancel! Cancel! Reframe! Napoleon Hill once something like you cannot afford a negative thought. You need to speak toward your success. I remember listening to a catchy song from High School Musical that was about getting your head in the game – FOCUS!!! GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME! Play baroque tunes for quiet background or some upbeat music when you are decluttering. Visualize your results 2-3 times per day. Let the vision get stronger and stronger.

Eliminate Distractions and Barriers. Take time to identify what distractions and barriers that may be influencing you. Brainstorm ways to eliminate them. You may choose to declutter your office space, eat some prepared meals and wear simple outfits to eliminate time wasted on decision-making efforts. Consider using a Pomodoro method – using a timer to keep you on task with structured break times. Set boundaries of office hours to ensure you are getting work done.

Plan and Prepare for The Big Picture – The END GAME! Start with the end in mind as per the late Stephen Covey. When you can visualize or have a clear idea of your end game, you can work backward and uncover the milestones that need to be reached along the way. Break down each milestone into smaller sections. Make you goals manageable instead of being overwhelmed.

Delegate! Delegate! Delegate! Whenever possible delegate tasks and actions to people who excel in a specific area. You do not need to be spending 6 hours figuring out something that could take a person with the expertise – 20 minutes! Your time is valuable. I know in the beginning you may not be able to delegate much. Start small. By learning everything along the way, you know when things go wrong and you know what points to catch that need to be fixed.

Ask questions and gather new information. Stay up to date gathering the latest information on your subject matter.

Don’t Wait for Perfection. Perfection is an illusion. It is a form of procrastination holding you back from getting what you want. Start by taking action and adjust the course along the way. Continuously evaluate!

Keep you head in the game and don’t let what others say steer you away from your end game! What others share is based on their experience and their fears and successes.

“Stay focused and stay determined. Don’t look to anyone else to be your determination – have self-determination. It will take you very far.”
Justice Smith 

Celebrate with us!!! Share, Rate, and Review this podcast on iTunes!

Reserve Your Copy of Let’s Be Curious at www. letsbecurious.ca

We would love to have you subscribe 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

Keywords: focus, productivity, mindset, delegation, strategic planning, goal setting, motivation, personal development