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Episode 99 – Seize the Opportunity

May 25, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNIruYlE8sQ[/embedyt]

“You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” Wayne Gretzky

Opportunities come and go every day. Some opportunities we grab and some we let slip away. Why is that? Is it that you do not know what opportunity looks like? Perhaps you think there needs to be a sign or opportunity needs to present itself in a special way. Is fear holding you back from stepping out of your comfort zone or routine?

An opportunity is a favourable event or situation that can change your circumstances for the better. All it takes is one opportunity to change the course in your favour. Your current circumstance can be accelerated to where you want to be. We often mistake opportunities as problems or they may be seen as hard work so we think – I will let this one go, another opportunity will come my way. You may be hesitating on taking a chance because you are uncertain about how the future will pan out – maybe the opportunity is too risky.

“If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.” Tom Peters

If you do not take a chance or try something new, you will never know if you would have been successful or not. You would never know if you like something or not. Suppose you take a chance and it turns out to be a mistake. Did you fail? No, you learned something that did not work. Use the feedback you get around you to course correct, learn from it, and move forward. Getting stuck in the past does not help you move forward. You may be sabotaging your own success with your beliefs.

You will achieve more if you seize the opportunities that come your way. You need to use the GRASP™ method:

Get Clear on What You Want. When you are clear about the “why” you do things and what you want to achieve, you will be able to recognize opportunities when they appear. The clearer you are, the more the road of opportunity seems to open up and a path lay before you.

Ready to take action. Are you ready to take action? What do you need to take action? What is the gap or missing link from getting the results that you want? Who do you need to talk to?

Ask the right questions. It is important to know if the opportunity that comes your way aligns with your core values. Is there a gap you can fill? Can you take on new or more responsibility? Will you develop new skills or abilities? Asking questions helps you determine if the opportunity is a right fit. Opportunities can in all shapes and sizes. Small opportunities can lead to bigger opportunities.

Speak confidently about yourself and your knowledge, skills, and abilities. You need to believe in yourself; speak with conviction. People do not know what you are capable of if you do not share your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Let people know about your successes and track record. Ask them about theirs. You are not being boastful if you are sharing. When people are boastful, they are doing so to intentional boost themselves about others – often making others feel less than them. Open up the dialogue. As you build new relationships through networking, you build a platform to showcase your talents. Your clients will provide testimonials shouting out accolades of working with you. Deliver on your promises – better yet over deliver with some special touches.

Prepare to take full responsibility. Opportunity can be a bit scary for some people. Take small steps to seize the opportunity. Remember no excuses, no complaining, no blaming allowed when you take ownership. You are not responsible for the thoughts, behaviours, or actions others take. You are in charge of you.

Too many people look at an opportunity and see the hard work, time, or money that may need to be invested versus the rewards that may be coming their way if they make the investment in themselves. I would rather gamble on my own hard work and efforts that throw it away blindly. Start seeing yourself as a “sure thing”.

Chances are there is an opportunity in front of you right now. It may scare you and at the same time excite you because you have been preparing for this and now it is your time. Don’t hold back! Give it a shot – seize it! Grasp it!

Don’t just wait for opportunities to come to you! Go out and get them!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.” – Mark Twain

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 98 -The Power of Positivity with Jon Gordon

May 23, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91WkLhDFROg[/embedyt]

Meet Our Guest:

Jon Gordon’s best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, MLB coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and non-profits. He is the author of numerous best-selling books including The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, The Seed, You Win in the Locker Room First and The Power of Positive Leadership. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer, West Point Academy and more.

Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.

Episode 97 – Developing a Winning Attitude

May 18, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” Maya Angelou

It is so easy to blame outside circumstances and events for our results. We can look externally to our environment and other people, however, many of our results are dependent on our internal thoughts and mindset. If you have lost hope in your team or your ability to succeed at a goal, you are probably down in the dumps. If you are down in the dumps, chances are you are not taking the actions necessary to get the results you want – it doesn’t matter anymore.

You are not going to get results thinking like that! Shake things up – renew your faith in yourself and take the actions required to get the results you want by changing your attitude about the way things are. You are where you are because of the choices you have made so make different choices and take different actions. It sounds simple and it is!

You can develop a winning unstoppable attitude by:

Create A Compelling Vision. What is your “why”? What are you passionate about? What would make you jump out of bed every day because you are excited to do it? You need to have an emotional connect to your goals.

Reframe Negative Situations. Everything does not go as planned. Setbacks do occur. Do not let a problem let you lose sight of a lesson or opportunity to see the solutions. When we get stuck on the “how”, your brain shuts down. When you brain senses danger, it goes into a flight or fight response and amygdala hijack occurs. However, when you start focusing on possibilities and brainstorming ideas. Another part of your brain called the prefrontal cortex gets stimulated. Ideas start to come more readily. Look for the lessons and possibilities – you may discover that the results you start to get are better than you imagined.

Keep Your Emotions in Check. When life events happen, you can let your imagination run wild with ideas and wonder what others are saying or thinking about you. Your beliefs and assumptions can build up and if you do not recognize that you are emotionally triggered you may release your pent-up emotions in a destructive way – with anger and frustration. You may say things you later regret. Challenge your assumptions, verify and clarify whether what you believe is true. Sometimes it is and sometimes it is not. Save yourself a great deal of embarrassment by asking if your thoughts and beliefs are true before you let your actions lead you astray.

Maintain a Positive Outlook. Do you look at situations as a “glass half full” or a “glass half empty”? My theory is to continue to fill the cup to the brim or even let it overflow. You are in charge. Keep you focus on being grateful and look for the positive in every situation even though at the time the situation is occurring you may be faced with uncertainty or struggle. It is about how you choose to react or respond to a situation.

Focus on Your Strengths. Many people spend way too much time focused on what they are not good at and improving those qualities versus strengthening their strengths. If you refine your skills, you can only get better. If you focus on developing your weaknesses, you may get a little bit better but it will not be as noticeable as when you hone your strengths. What do you believe your top 5 strengths are? What skills and abilities do people compliment you on?

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others. Have you ever been caught up in the successes of others? Instead of being happy for them, have you caught yourself feeling jealous or envious and wondering why you are now getting the same success? It took me a few years to realize how unhealthy this behaviour is. By comparing yourself to others, you diminish your own self worth.

Once when I was in conversation with someone I had been doing some work with, she talked about how the person we were working with loved her and could not get enough of her ideas and knowledge. I caught myself comparing and feeling like that person’s shadow thinking no one will see my value they will only see hers. I stopped taking action steps and I hit a slump. Any results I had been getting stopped because I stopped. I am not proud of it as I knew better and I am sure you do too.

When you compare yourself to others, you lose sight of what you bring to the table. You are looking at only one moment in time and chances are you would not trade their whole lives with yours based on a moment in time. Start seeing the value you bring and share your ideas. You bring a different element to the conversation. Everyone does not think and act the same. Realize you are the star of your stage. Be a peak performer by taking the actions you need to be memorable.

Don’t Let Others Fears for You Change Your Destiny. You can sabotage our own success by listening to the fears that others have for you when they say things like, “Do not do that, you will fail.”, “You are better suited for this ________.”, or “You are making a big mistake.” Question those comments and assumptions. Do your own homework. Has the person who is making these comments gone after their goals? If they have not, ask what they are afraid of. It may be the fear that you will succeed beyond measure and they will get left behind. Surround yourself with people who support, encourage, and challenge you to become a better version of yourself each day.

Know that setbacks are temporary. Setbacks are tough. They can knock the wind out of our sails. However, they never last. You always have a choice to change your mind about a situation, you can take different actions, or can choose to do nothing which is also a choice. No matter what, change happens and life moves forward whether you want it to or not. Set yourself up for success by looking for the learning opportunity in the setbacks. You may need to make one simple change to get the results you are looking for. Sometimes it takes slowing the process down to get ahead.

Believe what you do matters. One of the biggest barriers to a person’s success is their beliefs. If you believe you do not have what it takes to succeed, guess what? You probably will not succeed. If you believe your efforts do not make a difference, guess what? They will not. You need to believe what you do makes a difference to stay motivated during tough times. By having the emotional connection and knowing what you do makes a difference, you will develop an unstoppable winning attitude.

How do you develop a winning attitude?

“A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.” Wade Boggs

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!

Episode 96 – Consciously Connecting with Holland Haiis

May 16, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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Meet Our Guest:

Holland Haiis has been dubbed the Digital Detox Expert. She is often called upon by CNN International, CBS, NBC, FOX News, Sirius Radio and many others to discuss how to increase connection within ourselves while finding a technological balance.

Holland is a speaker, corporate team builder and the author of the well received book; Consciously Connecting: A Simple Process to Reconnect in a Disconnected World.

Holland’s mission is to help the world understand how our brain’s and our live’s are changing due to using too much technology and how we can find that perfect balance. By consciously connecting we find the power to our goals, boundaries, creativity and so much more! Holland works with individuals, families and corporations on their path to honoring relationships and understanding how to live and work more human.

In 2016 Hay House voted Holland one of 100 Global Thought Leaders and she spoke at their World Summit. She is also a contributing editor for HuffPost.

For more information on Holland and her services visit her website at www.hollandhaiis.com

Episode 95 – Expect Success

May 11, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” – Zig Ziglar

Do you fret and worry about the possibility of failing? Do you know you increase the odds of failure based on what you focus on? Your mindset is the game changer of your success. If you are focused on failing, you may see procrastination, apathy, and indecisiveness. With a lack of effort or no effort, you will meet expectations of failing. Now, if you believe in yourself and that you will succeed, you will plan, prepare, and put the effort required to achieve success. Chances are you will meet or exceed your expectations. To succeed, you need to anticipate success!

Set Clear Expectations. Setting yourself up for success involves being clear about your expectations and sharing them with others if you are working with a team or other individuals. When people see that you are anticipating success, they will share in the energy, enthusiasm, and vision. What do you think people thought when JFK made his speech to Congress May 25, 1961, and said, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning safely to Earth?” Some people may have reacted stating that’s impossible. Others were already thinking, “That’s exciting, they started asking questions and gathering information. What knowledge, skills, and abilities do we need? I want you to pay attention to JFK’s statement. It was specific – what did he want to see happen – land a man on the moon. What did he expect? They would be able to land a man on the moon AND return him home safely. He did not stop at getting to the moon but returning them back and 1969 his vision became a reality. Neil Armstrong was the first man to land on the moon. It is unfortunate JFK was not able to see it come to pass.

You can set yourself up to expect success too. It all starts with your belief in yourself, your ability, and the people around you. What you believe must align with what you expect. What do you expect to achieve?

Ensure your goals are SMART. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Timely. You may want to shortcut or keep it extra brief. You cannot do that. You need to ensure you are very clear on each of the 5 parts of the SMART goal. You need to write your goals down. If you are keeping them in your head, you will learn very quickly, out of sight, out of mind. Keep your goals front and center. Often where people fall short is in that they have no way to measure what they are attempting to achieve so they do not know when they have achieved it or not. Sometimes people set goals that are not achievable or realistic. It may be because they did not set aside an appropriate amount to time or resources to achieve the goal for the timeframe they were aiming for.

Do you anticipate success for the following statement?

I will lose 20 lbs in 3 days.

Let’s breakdown the goal – specific yes, measurable – yes, achievable – no, realistic – no, timely – yes. Something drastic would need to occur for that to happen.

Now let’s fix it up!

I will lose 20 lbs in the next 125 days.

Specific – Yes, Measurable – Yes, Achievable – Yes, Realistic – Yes, Timely – Yes!

Here are a few more achievable and realistic actionable goals:

I will send out 35 marketing letters every week for the next 3 months.

I will create 1-2 Facebook Live Videos every week.

I will call 1-3 of my clients per day every week.

I will set a date night with each member of my family once a month.

I will measure my social media stats for Facebook and Instagram every Friday.

I will intend to meet 1-3 new contacts at each networking event I go to this week.

Hold Yourself Accountable. Not only are you setting clear expectations and SMART goals, you need to be checking in with yourself to ensure you are on track. Did you mail out the 35 marketing letters this week? Did you create 1-2 Facebook Live Videos? Did you call 1-3 of your clients each day? You have the picture! Are you doing what you know needs to be done or are you falling into old patterns of behaviour? Did you skip a couple weeks and then blast out 70 marketing letters? Did you create one Facebook Video one week and then another 6 weeks later? What traction are you getting? Consistent actions will get you further ahead than random ones! OWN it! Make things happen.

Shine the Spotlight on What is Working. Know what is working well, what is not working well, and what you need to ask for help with or delegate. Your mindset needs to focus on what is going right and ask the questions around why some actions may not be right.

Anticipate Roadblock and Obstacles. Just because someone if optimistic about an outcome does not me hey are oblivious to roadblocks or obstacles. As a matter of fact, we anticipate them. Once you identify and acknowledge what potential roadblocks and obstacles are, you can learn about how to face them, navigate around the, or avoid them altogether if possible.

“Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.” – Ralph Marston

You may be saying to yourself, “These expectations seem high. I do not know if I can achieve them.” Studies have shown that people who set high expectations for themselves and others have obtained higher achievements. There is always an increase in motivation to rise to the challenge. Whereas, other said it increased their stress and led to disappointment. Here is my challenge for you. All effort moves the needle. No effort means no action and no traction. Raise your expectations and efforts by at least 1% and expect to achieve higher results. Anticipate success!! Get clear, decide, plan, and execute!