(This post is part of the “Blog Crawl of Self-Love” hosted by Molly Mahar of Stratejoy.  Find out more about The ABC’s of Self Love Blog Crawl + Treasure Hunt here.)

I waited a long time to have my first child, which according to many of the doctors I saw meant my age was counted in dog years.

“Mrs. Slim,” they said, “because you are of advanced maternal age we need to do some special tests.”

“Good lord,” I thought, “I am 38, not 76.”

Despite my ancient status, I had a relatively healthy pregnancy. I endured the 9-month morning sickness that was legendary for the women in my family. I even flew back and forth between the Bay Area and Phoenix every single week of my pregnancy when I was finishing up a big consulting project. I waddled through the airport like a trooper, determined to not let a little thing like a gigantic stomach deter me from my work.

I wanted to have a natural birth. I was convinced that Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she wired us up to have babies. I also felt kind of cocky about my ability to handle pain and challenge.

I had been a hard-core martial artist for over ten years. I had my faced smashed into the floor during a sparring session by  large Brazilian men and had come up swinging. I had been knocked out by a kick to the face.  I had traveled alone in dangerous places.

Childbirth, I decided, would leverage my warrior tendencies.

When the time came, labor started relatively gently, with contractions that felt like small pressure. We headed to the hospital.

I was slightly worried when the doula I had hired to help decided to take the night off. My husband and I bravely looked each other in the eyes and decided that the Lamaze classes we had dutifully taken would do the trick. I would grasp his hand as he wiped my brow lovingly with a wet washcloth. We would do that cute breathing thing that they show in the movies. How hard could it be, really?

And then, transition labor hit.

All quaint ideas about being a warrior were pushed aside as a freight train began to rush through my body. The force was incomprehensible. It was so far beyond my ability to manage or control that I was stunned.

In the fight for my life between breaths, all I could think of was “Are you telling me that billions of women have gone through this and survived?” I could not believe that no one had told me that within the quiet throngs of mothers the world over, since the beginning of time, they had demonstrated Herculean strength. I was in awe.

Thankfully, transition labor did its job and my son Josh made his way into the world quickly.

The movies were right on this part — as soon as he was in the doctor’s arms, I felt elated, a gigantic rush of love and joy.

I had just run a triathalon, fought a war and created a masterpiece, all in a matter of hours.

All of that strength was inside, but it was totally different than I thought it would be.  Instead of carefully controlling the situation and believing I could power through it, I gave up in glorious surrender to the much larger heartbeat of Mother Nature. Surrender and trust were my pathway to doing the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

We are all capable of so many things. We can endure challenge, tragedy and heartbreak and come out clearer, stronger and more loving on the other end.

Trust yourself.

—

Thanks again Molly for inviting me to be a part of your Blog Crawl of Self Love! I had fun reliving this story. The crazy thing is I did it again with my daughter Angela. Check out all the wonderful posts written by fellow blog sisters and find out about Molly’s Fierce Love Course here: http://www.stratejoy.com/fierce-love-course/

The Salt River which runs through Saguaro Lake Ranch

In a few hours, Charlie Gilkey, Angela Wheeler and I will kick off another Lift Off Retreat at Saguaro Lake Ranch.

It is hard to describe the feeling of anticipation that comes before Lift Off. There is a special magic that occurs that is unlike any other class, event or retreat that I have ever led. This time, we have a whole crew of alumni that are cheering us on behind the scenes, giving us so much inspiration to bring our very best game to the new “Liftoffians.”

There are so many things to share about the entrepreneurial journey. We will talk about business models, product funnels, client avatars, money systems and personal environments.

But my best advice on how to get through the ups/downs and sideways of entrepreneurship comes from the mantra that my family has adopted for 2012: Positive Attitude, Perseverance, Courage. <with the added cheer “Go Slims!“>. As you might remember, my son Josh chose these three values at Boy Scout Winter Camp. I loved them so much that I brought them into my year as a personal mantra.

In order to bring the values to life, I asked Willie Hewes if she could draw them as my personal mascots. Her illustrations were so beyond my expectations — they perfectly captured both the feeling of the words, and the spirits of me and my children.

Positive Attitude

(Guess who that hippie is?)

Perseverance

Like only my boy understands.

Courage

It does not get more Rosie than this.

—

I highly recommend your own flavor of a fun, inspiring and uplifting mantra for the year.

See you on the other side of Lift Off with a brand new set of stories and insight.

Thank you Willie Hewes for your inspiring art!

In January, I ran another session of my  Power Teaching class. Another extremely smart and enthusiastic group joined in intensive study of effective training design and development, and worked on real, live classes that they are launching this Spring. I love teaching this class for three reasons:

• It is exceptionally energizing to share my passion for teaching with completely open and eager participants
• They really worked their hearts out to apply great design to their classes, ensuring a superior learning experience for their students
• They were extremely generous with each other, sharing ideas and feedback the entire two months we worked together

An important part of the course design was working on REAL classes launched to REAL people.

Out of the 87 participants, around 32 were ready to go live today. Others may showcase their classes in my end of year round up post on December 31.

Here is the amazing variety of classes they created. I would appreciate it so much if you take the time to see what they have developed, and if you feel drawn to learn from these amazing teachers, sign up for their classes!

Go Power Teachers!

Business

Anne-Marie Rábago is offering The Feisty Gal’s Guide to a Financially FIT Business Are you a smart and savvy female entrepreneur just getting started or running a great business, but still trying to figure it all out? Do the ideas of finance, insurance, tax, and legal stuff make you want to scream and throw your hands in the air (not in a fun party way)? In this fabulous 5-week intensive e-course, Anne-Marie will give you the tools (and a little ‘tude) to whip your business into shape and find your inner feisty gal in 2012!

See also, “Networking Naturally for the Busy Professional” in the Career category

See also, “Grasping Software” in the Computer Training category

We all have a great idea for building a business on our own terms. Dallon Christensen has designed Discover, Design, and Deliver – A Guide to Entrepreneurial Success to help you turn your idea into action! This class is designed for entrepreneurs who want to build a business to fulfill their life’s passion and purpose.

Hannah Hollett, of MyMindset, helps you create new, empowering mindsets that support you in improving your business/ career (in addition to many other areas of your life). MyMindset is your ‘Life Coach on-the-go’, providing daily text or email questions, live support from trained Life Coaches, and the tools to Change Your Mindset & Change Your Life!

Calling all Entrepreneurs! Learn how to inspire trust by finding the natural leader within you. Join Joy Silha and Carolyn Turner for a one-day workshop called Learning Inspired Leadership From Horses. Held in beautiful Santa Fe, NM, you’ll safely interact with horses in order to learn how to tap into your own unique vision and project true leadership!

Joyce M. Washington, CPA – of Common Cents Consulting, is launching QuickBooks Basics, a no-nonsense series of self-paced workshops designed to eliminate anxiety of the unknown and get any QuickBooks newbie up and running in a matter of a few hours!

Have you wanted to start a blog but didn’t think you had time? Join Lesa Townsends for the Blogging Essentials in Just Minutes a Day class and learn how to manage, write, and promote your blog in just minutes a day. Don’t let your lack of time keep you from reaping the benefits of blogging for your business!

Mary Corrigan has now adapted Stanford’s acclaimed Creativity in Business program for self-employed entrepreneurs. It will forever change the way you approach challenges and obstacles in your business and life!

Michelle Gower is offering WordPress Training for Virtual Assistants. Start or increase your business by offering WordPress services to your clients! Quit missing out on billable time for clients who ARE outsourcing tasks for their WordPress websites. Michelle shows you how to learn WordPress AND how to run a WordPress services business in a fun and easy fashion!

Sue Kasson is offering The Top 3 Strategies for a Full, Thriving Practice Just imagine how much you would earn this year if you just added 2 new clients. 2 clients x $300 = $600/month = $7,200/year. In this 4-part teleclass you will learn how to: get great results-based testimonials, create sales pages that talk about client benefits, and retain your best clients!

Career

Carol Ross is offering Networking Naturally for the Busy Professional, a webinar that explains the principles that all successful networkers use and shows how to apply them in a way that is in sync with your personal style. You’ll become a more effective networker, including feeling relaxed and confident when meeting someone for the first time. Based on her experience of presenting networking workshops and webinars to more than 2000 professionals in 20 countries, Carol provides the essence of what you need to know, without creating information overload!

Heather Mills designed Kickstart Your Career Change, a 4-week virtual course, for you if you’re a professional woman wanting to make a change in your work but you don’t know where to start. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of your strengths, values, priorities, passions, and goals. Whether you’re considering staying in your current work, changing careers, or starting a new business, you’ll get un-stuck and start taking action – with clarity, purpose, and a plan for doing the work you’re meant to do!

College

Guides for: high school graduates, college majors, college parents, and coaching college students

Are you the parent of a high school senior or college freshman/sophomore? Are you frustrated because you don’t know how to help them choose a major? On March 24th, Amy Ramsey is offering high school seniors, college freshmen, and sophomores a 1-day Go 2 the Peak workshop in Charlotte, NC. It will help them answer the question “Who am I?”, and teach them how to make decisions based on their strengths and interests; how to evaluate their choices; and how to make more effective decisions in all areas of their life!

Communication

Dirk Haun will be offering a presentation course:
Wege zur besseren Präsentation (“Techniques for a better presentation”), a series of three in-person classes that will help you prepare, create, and give better presentations.

Computer Training

Do you frequently find yourself on technical support duty? Get off the hook by gifting your “digitally-challenged” loved ones with Get to Know Your Computer Better: An Orientation to Computing and Communicating in the Information Age. Combining easy-to-consume video tutorials with a weekly Q&A session, this eCourse will empower participants to join the technology party! With over 15 years experience translating techie into English, Audrey Reynolds teaches people how to happily interact with their computer and stay connected to their clients, friends and family.

See also, “Blogging Essentials is Just Minutes a Day” in the Business category

You don’t have to feel anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed while learning business software for your job. You can use simple methods to quickly get up-to-speed and feel confident, encouraged, and in control. With the tools delivered in Grasping Software – How to Use Any Software, you can mold your work to take advantage of the new software. For fifteen years, Charlie Ahern has assisted people like you to confidently use complex software applications.

See also, “QuickBooks Basics “ in the Business category

See also, “WordPress Training for Virtual Assistants” in the Business category

Consulting

Daryl Gerke just presented Consulting for Geeks. Based on its initial success, this class will soon be followed by a five-part webinar series on how to become an independent consultant. The focus is on professionals (engineers, accountants, lawyers, medical personnel, etcetera), but anyone interested in consulting should benefit.

Creativity

Accomplished artist and creativity expert Christine DeCamp has spent 20+ years exploring the phenomenon of creativity and how to develop a consistent download of passion and inspiration. If you are interested in generating ideas and implementing them, her online class, Creative Flow, will rock your world as you grow a practice that is easy to sustain, fits you perfectly, and works in your life. Class begins on Tuesday March 6, 2012.

See also, “Creativity in Business” in the Business category

Green Lifestyle

Jami Scholl is offering Permaculture + Potager. Playfulness can marry the historic French Potager food garden to regenerative Permaculture design. In this 4-part class, you will have serious fun creating your own design for elegant living. This is a beautiful solution that both you and your neighbors will adore.

Marketing

Is your blog traffic…lacking? Beth Hayden is offering Beth’s Blog Traffic School to give you tons of killer ideas for attracting traffic to your blog. We’ll cover how to figure out what kind of traffic you REALLY want, how to get awesome guest posting gigs, and how to effectively use Twitter and Facebook to drive traffic to your blog. We’ll finish by giving you some super powerful traffic-building ideas you’ve never heard before!

Tea Silvestre, aka The Word Chef, is offering Find Your Secret Sauce (and Create an Addicting Brand). This 5-week online course is guaranteed to help you figure out how to leverage the bits and pieces that make you unique (and all that entails): your Unique Selling Proposition, how to talk about your business so your ideal customers say, “Yes please!”, and how to create a fascinating and memorable brand.

Motherhood

As a mom herself, Miki DeVivo knows that the demands of motherhood pull you in a million directions. But what if taking some time each day just for yourself was actually the remedy? Shape Your Being ~ Build a Practice that Serves You teaches you tools to fill your cup so that you can free your life from the tyranny of the to-do list, remain grounded in the eye of the storm, and be the type of mother you want to be. You deserve it!

Personal Development

Alicia Terry, owner and founder of OnPoint Communications & Training, is offering Make Your Mark in the World, a blended training and coaching program to help you clarify your life’s vision and align your actions to give voice to it. Don’t know what brings significance to your life? Then start by answering this: If I were able to do so, what need in the world, my family, or community would I make a positive difference in?

C. A. Kobu, the Project Midwife, is offering A Year With Myself , a year-long digital self-study program for creative, entrepreneurial women who want to empower themselves and slowly give birth to their big juicy dream over the course of 52 weeks. The program includes detailed lessons, exercises and in-depth interviews with over 75 Instigators who are renowned coaches, writers, businesswomen, and other experts. Members have lifetime free access to all future upgrades and to a closed discussion group. Start any time.

See also, “Change Your Mindset & Change Your Life” in the Business category

See also, “Learning Inspired Leadership From Horses” in the Business category

Laura Hibbert is offering the Style Your Way to Success teleclasses. With only a few seconds to make a positive first impression, this course teaches you entrepreneurs and professionals to identify your personal style, improve your wardrobe, enhance your greatest attributes and construct a positive inner belief system to build self-confidence. Experience the joy as you look good and feel good about yourself by bringing out the best in yourself and developing your powerful personal brand!

Lonnie Gribnau is offering Unleash Your Life. Use play and your passion to overcome mobility and weight issues. Your level of confidence is in direct proportion to how you feel about yourself. We’ll find keys that work for you, to unleash your life!

Productivity

See also, “Get to Know Your Computer Better: An Orientation to Computing and Communicating in the Information Age” in the Computer Training category

See also, “Grasping Software” in the Computer Training category

Spirituality

All Beings Are Our Mothers: Meditation Practices for Love and Belonging is a contemplative and in-the-moment practice for remembering your connection and opening your heart. This authentic Buddhist meditation has been Mahala Mazerov‘s principal practice for over 10 years, but you don’t have to be a Buddhist to share the love. By the end of this program you can expect to have a profound resonance with people who pass through your life, a way to keep a steadfast heart even with those who cause you harm, and experiences that will enrich you for the rest of your life!

Wellness

Christy Lambert is offering Motivation Magic, a free tele-class designed to help you fizzle-proof your fitness plan. If you’re ready to learn how to make exercise fun, find the joy in moving your body and create consistency with your practice, this class may be just what you need!

Emily Downward is offering you your own personalized Big Apple Adventure! Sometimes it takes getting out of your usual routine to evaluate your life and see things in a different perspective. This incredible adventure will provide you with valuable tools to find balance and peace in your everyday life while giving you multiple opportunities to explore the varied sights, sounds and experiences of New York City. Learn what really lights you up and makes your heart sing in this “choose your own adventure” urban retreat!

For the sixth time, Koren Motekaitis is offering her successful Lose Weight without Dieting Coaching Circle. Previous circle members say, “You’ll learn and practice losing weight without dieting in a safe, non-judgmental group.”

Jumpstart Your Sustainable Life will guide you through 4 weeks of gradual change in the way you live and think about the choices you make every day. You will learn new sustainable practices and resources, as well as consciously make those changes in your everyday life while Kristi Ashley is there to help you along the way. While you are practicing these changes in your own life, you will also learn about many more practices and resources you can use in the future.

Lorraine Faehndrich is offering Mind Body Healing, a 4-week teleclass where you will learn the basic principles, as well as effective tools for relieving pain, stress, and anxiety; achieving permanent weight loss; creating optimal health; and accessing a deeper connection with your inner wisdom. Chronic physical and emotional pain are your body’s ways of communicating that what you are doing is not working. Get to the root of these painful issues, hear what your body and emotions are telling you, and learn how to create radiant health and deep, authentic happiness!

Martha Atkins is offering Seeing Past the Tears: Creating A New Vision After Loss, a 4-week photo journal course for anyone who has suffered the death of a loved one. You’ll use your camera, creativity, and personal experiences to see/process your grief in a new way. Limited to 12 participants.

Body-transformation coach Mary Weaver, CSCS, is offering Diet Without Starving — a program that gives you the tools to stick to a healthy diet without starvation or suffering. She explains why popular diets fail, which foods help dieters feel full, which just stimulate appetite, and how to prevent the metabolic slow-down that fad diets cause. If you’re sick of yo-yo dieting and want a no-BS strategy based on science, Diet Without Starving is the answer!

Do you wish you knew how to cook healthier foods? Have you run out of ideas of what to fix for dinner? Do you wish you could just whip something up fast? Pam Hirsch will teach you how to make 3 basic dishes that can be easily turned into something new, several times! Discover your “creative chef” through a series of short videos, recipes and shopping lists in Cook Once, Eat Thrice!

I will be running another session in April, 2012. If  you are interested in getting priority notification when it opens, add your name to the waitlist at the bottom of the Power Teaching page at this link. http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/power-teaching/

Hearty congratulations Power Teachers! It was a delight to work with you.

My Mom and Larry on a favorite hike in West Marin

I was 23 and in my first job out of college at the Marin Community Foundation in Larkspur, California. My Mom worked down the street.

We met for lunch at our usual spot, and my 55-year old Mom started gushing like a teenager. She told me how she had met a funny red haired man while on a Sierra Club hike. They were in a large group, but fell into step with each other, and spent the afternoon talking and laughing. The hike turned into dinner and a long conversation.

Clearly, she was very smitten.

My parents had divorced eighteen years before, and my Mom kept her focus on raising kids and working hard to support us. She attempted a few dates, but I am afraid that I scared them all off. I was terrible, I mean really terrible. When not throwing death stares their way when they came to pick up my Mom for a date, I found ways to demonstrate horrible manners as a teenager. My poor mother.

As we all moved away to college and our new lives, she started getting interested in health and exercise. She gave up smoking, and started hiking. Always self-determined and strong, she blossomed.

Which led her to that fateful day on a Sierra Club hike.

My Mom and Larry had a whirlwind romance that quickly led to marriage.

I got two new younger brothers, Steven and David.  We bonded immediately, which was very easy to do because they were so open and funny. Steven and I would meet for lunch when we were both working in San Francisco, and would howl with laughter about stories inside our respective cubicles.

Larry was Jewish and grew up in a working class neighborhood in The Bronx. He brought a clarity and honesty to my Mom’s life that she loved. “He is right out there,” she used to say with a grin, and I could tell that she derived strength and courage from him. He made her laugh hysterically.

Their love for the outdoors led them to kayak with whales in Baja, hike between chalets in Austria, and explore islands in the Galapagos. Nature was their joy, their temple, their shared passion.

Larry faced a number of health challenges throughout their 22 year marriage, including  heart surgery and cancer. Throughout it all, he was brave, hard working and optimistic. He would endure tough treatments, eager to feel well enough to go for a hike. That was the ultimate barometer of his recovery – how soon he was able to go outside.

My Mom was an amazing caregiver . She faced each challenge with a positive attitude, and especially in the last few years, learned more about medications and treatments than an RN. She cared for him gently and consistently, and he was always extremely grateful for her support.

Second chances

One of the deepest beliefs I have about the human condition is that we can transform, we can heal and we can rebound from the most difficult situations.

Both my Mom and Larry faced some big challenges in the first halves of their lives. But because of their strength, their courage, their willingness to be open and accept love, they built a strong and powerful second chapter. I will always be grateful for this example, which I lean on when I face my own challenges. If they can do it, I can do it. I know this to be true.

Larry, I love you so much and thank you for all the wonderful years you gave to our family. Thank you for your wonderful sons and grandkids. Thank you for accepting me and my family as your own. Thank you for believing in me and my work. Thank you for always saying what was on your mind, and helping us to speak the truth, even if it was uncomfortable.

Most importantly, thank you for loving my Mom the way she deserved: with honor, with respect, with admiration and with deep affection.

Larry passed away yesterday, two weeks after his eightieth birthday.

This morning as we stepped outside to go to school, Josh noticed the gentle rain. “Mom, I think that is Grandma Earth welcoming Grandpa Larry into the spirit world.”

I think so too.

In a departure from my normal entrepreneur interviews, in this podcast, I talk with Yum Brands CEO David Novak who talks about how to create a great culture for your startup. Although he is the head of a huge corporation, he talks about core building blocks that apply to any stage of business.

His book Taking People With You: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen  breaks down the critical things you need to keep in mind to build a great business culture with happy employees, customers and shareholders. In our interview we discuss:

• How to choose the right people to grow your business
• How to develop and communicate a healthy work environment
• How to maintain a strong culture as you grow your business

In perhaps my favorite part of the interview, I asked David what he thinks about corporate employees (even in his own organization) who are doing a side hustle in addition to their day job. His answer may surprise you.

All proceeds from David’s book are going to the World Food Program to help in the fight against hunger.

Download our 16 minute conversation here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/escapefromcubiclenation/DavidNovak.mp3

Or listen here:

Those of you who have been following my work for awhile know that I have been heavily influenced by my coach mentor Dr. Martha Beck. Her book Finding Your Own North Star changed the course of my life when I read it nearly a decade ago, and eventually led to my Escape from Cubicle Nation work.

Martha is a Harvard-trained sociologist and bestselling author. She is Oprah’s life coach in residence, and writes a monthly column for O Magazine.

In this interview, I talk with Martha about her brand new book Finding Your Way in a Wild New World. Building on the research she started at Harvard many years ago, she explains how an encounter with an angry rhinoceros in Africa triggered an entirely new direction in her life, and led to this book. Rather than thinking your way to your right work, why not track your right life? We discuss:

• How to find a path in life that will make you happy
• Why the most “fancy” (wealthy, successful) people in the world are often unhappy
• What elders from around the world agree on about creating happiness and magic in your life

Find Martha at http://www.marthabeck.com

Download the podcast directly here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/escapefromcubiclenation/MarthaBeckPodcast020312.mp3 or listen below:

I walked in my son’s Cub Scout meeting late last night, and ran into the wife of our den leader. She is a wonderful person; an engaged mother, passionate volunteer and airline pilot.

“I am so sorry for being late,” I said. “I was teaching a class.”

“No problem at all, where were you teaching?” she said.

“On the phone,” I said.

She looked puzzled. “You were teaching on the phone? How does that work?”

“I teach marketing to coaches who are in the Martha Beck coaching program. They dial in from all over the world, and I deliver sessions on how to grow your coaching business .”

“Hmm,” she said. I could tell that this was the first time she had ever heard about a “teleclass,” or “phone coaching,” all standard practices in my industry for the last decade.

This informed, intelligent, professional woman was totally unaware of a business model that has supported me and my family for the past six years.

And yet when I am teaching marketing to new entrepreneurs, they often lament that “the market is so crowded for (coaches) (social media consultants) (weight loss experts) (music teachers) (lifestyle design bloggers) (fill in your business here).”

They often say things like “All I see all day are offers for teleclasses, or marketing programs, or retreats. How in the world can I get any clients when the market is so saturated?”

“Where do you see them?” I ask.

“On Facebook and Twitter, mainly,” they say.

“And who makes up the people who are in your Facebook and Twitter streams?”

“Well, there are the fellow coaches in my coach training program, and the instructors in the program (which generally is about 80% of their social media connections) and the rest are family and old high school buddies (which is about 20%).

The best metaphor I can think of to explain this is that you and your very specialized peers are all on a small island in the middle of the Pacific, carrying around signs promoting your services. You keep bumping into each other. Because you think that your tiny island represents the entire world, you are convinced that there are far more sellers than buyers. In the meantime, there are massive amounts of ideal clients and customers on seven continents around the world, totally unaware that you exist, and dying to get help.

So how do you break out of this micro lens of your market and start to see the real need?

1. Analyze your contacts on social media. How many are peers who theoretically are competitors? Feel free to stay connected with them, but expand your connections to include:
   -Connectors from very different industries, who might provide access to new markets.
   -Your clients. Put priority on following their work, being helpful and supportive.
   -Leaders in your industry who help you develop depth and mastery in your field.
   -Natural partners. Are you a web developer? Hang out with business or marketing coaches who can refer clients to you.
2. Analyze where you spend your time. There is nothing wrong with getting support from professional peers, but when you are in a market-expanding mode, you want to spend 80% of your time in front of existing customers (who often give you repeat business), as well as new contacts in new markets. I suggest you research:-Live groups on meetup.com
   -Professional groups on LinkedIn (the volume will boggle your mind)
   -Facebook pages that would appeal to your ideal customers
   -Your own community network. Do you think your dentist, doctor, barista, neighbor or yoga teacher knows what you do for a living? One of my neighbors, who I have known for 8 years, said to me the other day: “Oh, you work? I thought you were a stay at home mom.”
3. Build in a strong referral component to your business. Clients who you have worked with in the past are a great source of future business. They will most likely have a very different personal and professional network than you do. Make it easy for them to spread the word about the great services you provide by building in solid follow up systems and processes. For great ideas, see John Jantsch’s book Referral Engine.

If you think your tiny island is the entire world, of course you will feel stressed about market saturation.

Swim to shore. A whole new world of customers awaits.

Golden Gloves contender Amanda Wang and Pamela Slim. Photo by proud cousin Abe Cajudo.

They say the best way to learn something and reinforce positive behavior is to teach it.

So here, 5 minutes after gaining insight while on a walk to Starbucks, is my advice to help you “do the work” (said channeling Steven Pressfield).

To watch directly on YouTube, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zVWDH2QflA

What I neglected to say in the video is that exercising even a little bit makes everything feel better!

<Enjoy getting back to your regularly scheduled programming. I have a proposal to write!>

If you have studied small business marketing, you may have heard the frequent cheer “The money is in The List!”

And indeed, creating a strong email marketing list is a powerful foundation for any business, online or offline.

In this video, I give you a few things to think about as you are establishing your mailing list, as well as a cardinal sin to avoid. To view this directly on YouTube, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xEkc0qEbg

More marketing tips coming!

At the end of this month, I am going to be opening a new section of Power Boost Marketing for enrollment. Power Boost Marketing is a year-long program which teaches practical, actionable ways to grow your business while strengthening your business foundation and amping up your personal brand. I kicked it off last October with a fantastic group of entrepreneurs, and they are already getting great results.

As part of the education about the program, I will be filming some special in-depth video segments for people who are particularly interested in marketing tips. In order not to inundate my regular mailing list or blog readers with this information, I created a special Power Boost list so you are notified about the content as soon as it is live. To join this list (which of course you can unsubscribe from anytime, just like my regular mailing list), put your information in here:

(If you cannot see this web form, you can fill it out by clicking on this link here: https://pamslim.infusionsoft.com/app/form/power-boost-marketing-waitlist )

Good luck building a strong and effective mailing list!

Happy 2012!

If you followed my planning videos in December, you may have defined some nice juicy goals for yourself this year.

And as you have started to execute those plans, you may have already faced some challenges and resistance from your market.

My best advice?

Don’t back down.

Here’s why:  (Direct link to YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY-BbkxIkGQ)

Bigger Fish! Pescadotes!