Debra Kasowski

Taste the Benefits of Writing a Blog – What’s A Blog Got To Do With It?

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A couple years ago when I started blogging one of my colleagues had mentioned that she would not start a blog because she had heard from a marketing person at a seminar that blogging had no benefit to a person’s business. Over the time that I have been blogging, I would have to say it has been further from the truth. Blogging does benefit a person’s business if done right. Guess What? She is blogging too and now recommends it to others. 

Blogging can really boost your business and create many opportunities for you. Blogging can be personal – like a travel journal or used professionally to boost a business. “Julie and Julia“, the book and the movie, is a prime example how a blog lead to an opportunity. It helped her tap into her creativity while working an office job, do something she loved – writing, and even experimented and stretched her out of her comfort zone trying out new recipes. And yes – even more people other than her mother started to follow her blog. 

Let me just share some of the benefits of writing a blog:

  • Increase your visibility – Your blog can be posted on your social media networks and to great way to get your brand known.
  • Increase your credibility – People can get to know more about what you do and your expertise.
  • People get to know you – Blogging is great way for people to get to know you and your business and what you stand for.
  • Increase traffic to your website – Use keywords that people would use to search your topic. Ensure that others have a way to share your blog.
  • Hone your writing skills – The more you write and develop your voice online, the more readers you will gain as well.
  • Develop products and services by compiling blog posts into ebooks, teleseminars, books, and workshop guides.
  • Monetize your blog – Blog about books (do a book review) and promote them through Amazon.
  • Support other colleagues or business owners – Perform a product review and promote products your believe in.
  • Share your knowledge, voice, and creativity with a greater audience than you currently do – GO GLOBAL!
Should you blog? I say “Yes”. Be mindful of your audience, blog purposefully, and have fun! You will be able to connect with other bloggers like I do during the Ultimate Blog Challenge! Are your ready to BLOG about it? 
I would love to hear why you blog!!!!

 

Are You Having Trouble Connecting with Your Passion and Purpose?

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What an incredible time to be alive ladies! We live in a world with an abundance opportunities and ways to make a difference. I was at a Canada Day Celebration yesterday and I met a very inspirational young 85 year old woman. She was a cabinet maker who built 3 houses from scratch. You should have seen her beautiful work in which she developed from raw lumber. Each china cabinet, dining room table, and chess table was a masterpiece. She admitted to never using a blueprint as she envisioned everything in her head. She already could see what she needed to create. As she described what she has done and showed me some of the pieces she created, you could see the sparkle in her eyes and her face light up. She was humble and kind. When someone asked her if it felt like work, she said, “No, when you love what you are doing and have a great satisfaction in what you produce. It is not work.” A true labour of love! Her passion and purpose radiated from every room. What an inspiration!

There are 3 ways you can connect with your passion and purpose:

  1. Discover What You Love to Do and Could Make Money At. Let the truth be told, you have been dabbling in your gifts and blessing all your life. Reflect on the things that give you great pleasure, that does not feel like work and comes naturally to you. What skillset, talent, or knowledge do you have that needs to be shared with others? 
  2. Acknowledge How You Feel When You Talk About Your Subject Matter. You can tell when someone is passionate about a subject. Their eyes light up, they are smiling, and you may even notice that they are simply glowing. They love what they do or want to do. They know that they have a mission even though they might not call it that. Pay attention to how you feel when you are passionate about something. You probably feel elated, energized, and empowered. What you do does not feel like work.
  3. Reflect on Your Life Circumstance, Events, and Where You Are Today. No matter what has happened in your life, you are not your story. You can rise above and create a new story for yourself and share the journey with others. Not every person’s story is the same but there are people out in the world in a similar circumstance that can resonate with your story. You could give them hope of a better tomorrow and even help them see that they have a purpose. 

I often refer a person’s purpose and passion as the burning in your heart or that feeling in your gut (your instinct) that you are here on this Earth for a much greater purpose than you had anticipated for yourself. You must fulfill this quest or mission. For some people they may be speaking to thousands of people from the stage, whereas, others may work in small groups and one-on-one scenarios. Never doubt the impact you have in the world. Where you are today is no accident, where you are tomorrow is for you to create.

Please share this with others you know who are still looking for their purpose in life – you could be the one who helps them. Be Rich from the Inside Out!

 

Are You Being Truly Present with Those You Serve?

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Today I had the great pleasure of interviewing Laura Gisborne, the founder of Powered with Passion, for The Millionaire Woman Club. We had a phenomenal conversation and one of the greatest insights for me was the power of being present in the moment. How many people do you know that are truly present when you speak with them? There are so many distractions and bright shiny objects in the world.

What I mean by truly present is that you are in a conversation with someone and no matter what is going on in the world everything is about the two of you in conversation. I love how Laura said, “Nothing is as important as what is happening in this very moment.” Jack Canfield, co-author of The Success Principles and Sandra Yancey, founder/CEO of eWomen Network, are two people I know that live in the moment that way.

Being present with others, makes a person feel heard, valued, and appreciated. This is a skill that definitely can be learned and a valuable skill to build into your business and life practices. How can I learn how to do this you may ask?

3 Ways to Become More Present with Those You Serve

1. Maintain Eye Contact. I am not telling you to stare deeply into their eyes, but maintain eye contact. Do not look through or over the shoulder of the person you are talking to, stare at the floor, or look around the room to see who else is around.

2. Be an Active Listener. Lean forward and listen not only to the words being spoken but for the complete meaning and emotion. You can learn many things about a person when you do this. You can sense and feel how passionate they are about their businesses, family, and personal life. Nod once in awhile to acknowledge comments or phrases that resonate with you. Don’t forget to smile if appropriate – keep in mind your subject matter. 

3. Paraphase, clarify, or ask questions. Summarize key points of what the person has shared with you. Clarify what you perhaps do not understand. Ask questions to dig deeper into a subject area that they are talking to you about. Be wary as you may become so involved in the conversation and lose track of time. Which can be easy to do – this is when you may ask to have a follow up meeting to further discuss the topic at hand. Thank the person for sharing their time with you.

I personally love connecting with people who are fully present. It makes you want to shout, “You GET it!” These are the people I can talk to for hours and learn so much about their passions, dreams, and desires. Not only that, I have always learnt more about myself in the process.

Your business is your purpose! Take time to be PRESENT so you can share the BEST of you with others! Build your relationships and in turn you will build your business.

The Time to Stand in Your Power is NOW!

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Even though I can feel the momentum, I sometimes feel like I am standing still. Feeling that there is so much more to be done – that is when I remind myself that to breathe. Working with a coach and studying “The Success Principles” has reminded me to celebrate every win that comes my way. I am spreading my wings and upleveling my business playing field and it so exciting but there is always a time in which a new foundation must be laid.

I know some of you may be saying to yourself, “I wish I was upleveling my game.” Let me caution you before you leap too fast. You will want to and need to create systems in place so that you can enjoy the upleveling of the game. Sustainability and growth also need a bit of forecasting but your mindset is where the big shift occurs the most. You can uplevel your game too. Where do you think you should be playing bigger? What resources do you need to do so? Do you need to hire a  full-time or part-time assistant? 

Recently, I knew I had to hire a new team member and that little voice in me said, “You know you need to do this, this is the next step.” The other little voice said, “Oh come on Deb, keep doing what you are doing. Do you really need to do it?” What did this all mean? Silence. Then, the voice inside said, “It is time.” I know it is time – I can feel it.

You, too, need to listen to your intuition. Whenever, you have an idea or suggestion come to you – listen for the another voice to follow and pay attention to how your body feels. Do you feel resistance or a sense of peace like you have already made a decision? The little voice of reason was making me do some due diligence and think about the results I want to achieve in my business. Take time to listen to what your intuition is telling you.

If you feel a sudden hesitation like someone has quickly pressed pause for a moment – this could be your first signal of trouble. Think about how your body reacts- do you perspire? Does your heart race? Do you get a stomach ache when things do not feel right? Start asking yourself and pay attention to your body. What exactly does not feel right at this moment and why?

Asking questions is the most powerful way to get clear on what it is you need to do. There is no better time that NOW to create  the business you want. Intentional action will result in success. Stand up for what you believe in. Let your voice be heard ! Make a decision based on what it is you are trying to achieve. You may even surprise yourself along the way! 

Show up, give your best, and stand in your power – NOW! It is your TIME!