Use meetings as a training tool

For many of you up and coming entrepreneurs, your best learning experience is your current job. As a future business owner, the most beneficial thing you can do before you even start your company is to take notes from your current company and other employees.

Long meetings are a great place to start. Consider it training for your future and how you will conduct business in your office. What do you like or dislike about the meetings? When do other employees in the meeting start to “zone out”? What helps meetings run more efficiently? Ask friends and other co-workers for their input. They may be your future employees!

Remember, you can take everything you learn with you. And that’s the beauty of it. You’re learning from both the good—and the bad. So, doing your homework now—even if it is during a dull meeting—will reap great rewards for you in the future

Get some new insight. Expand your mind.

You are pretty conversant in what you already know, let's hope. Your industry, your hobbies, your kids, your neighborhood. Great. You should be. That's easy. But what have you done lately to expand your mind, your knowledge? How have you challenged yourself?

I just attended the Marketing to Women Conference in Chicago for the second year, and I love going because I always learn new things. Because I'm outside of my typical focus on entrepreneurism and real estate, my mind gets a break and a chance to focus and expand via a different channel. Sure, marketing to women is one of my passions, but it's not often I have a chance to mingle and share information with a group of people who share that passion. It's amazingly mind-expanding. And what, you ask, did I learn? Here's just a sampling for your consideration!

• Today's women are living fully kinetic lives, according to a Lifetime TV study. 84 percent feel they are busier than the generation before them, and busier now than they were five years ago. They are leading multi-tasking lives.

• Today's men are pitching in more, but it's far from equal at home. The interesting news is husbands who do pitch in have more sex. Go figure.

• Stress is on the rise. 55 percent of all women say they are frequently stressed out, while 85 percent have trouble sleeping. Women are searching for simplification and an unscheduled day every once in awhile.

• Oh, and while there are fewer vertical and horizontal corporate barriers, only 12 Fortune 500 CEOS are women, and women still only make 78 cents for every dollar a man makes. Leading to the rise of my passion—and many of yours—women are turning to entrepreneurship.

You don't need to travel to expand your mind. Head to the bookstore and pick up a “how to” or business book (subliminal plug for Real You Incorporated inserted here) about a topic you've always wanted to learn more about. If you have a Kindle, you don't have to leave your home for an entire wealth of knowledge to be delivered into your hands. Of course, the Internet provides a huge, immediate resource, but it also provides innumerable distractions so if you want to focus, and if you want to learn, I'd suggest making time for it through. A book. A conference. Or taking an online course.

In today's multi-minding world, make sure your mind has a chance to focus on expanding, and not just moving from task to task. Enlightenment and learning opens your mind and can change the direction of your life.

Sharing Your Secrets. Good or Bad?

Whenever women business owners get together they like to talk about their families and their business.

Unlike their male counterparts, women business owners, counterparts seek out the opinions and input of others. We know this from research conducted by the National Foundation for Women Business Owners (NFWBO). I believe that women benefit from this behavior. Of course, there are boundaries you’ll need to adhere to, but that shouldn’t stop you from gaining the wisdom and insight of others.

Connecting with others is a natural instinct for women. So don’t be afraid to get out there and start connecting by sharing trials, tribulations and success stories. Once you open up other women will too. But like I said there are boundaries, do share all the ins and outs, but be willing to help. And always remember, watch out for the snarks! They are out there and they will try to bring you down.

Still, it goes way beyond talking with friends and people you meet. And beyond talking to other women business owners, if you have a team, ask for their ideas too! It’s important to solicit their input as well. In doing so, you’ll make them feel like valued members of the team, and you’ll benefit from a variety of opinions and perspectives.

So as you head off to your next gathering don’t feel like you have to hold back. Be open and willing to share. Those you are sharing with will be appreciative and you may even learn something from them!

Finding a Balance that Works for You

Women continually struggle with work-life balance. There are many women who believe there is this set, generic and ideal form of balance. However, that is just not the case. Balance differs for everyone. What works for your co-worker may not work for you. And what works for you may not work for your neighbor. Everyone is different and has a different job and your work-life balance should reflect that. Also, many women believe that their personal and business life should be completely different. But instead hear this: Your business is your personal life.

By that I mean if you develop your business around your personal brand essence, then the real you will rise to the surface. You’re a package. Your values, personality—even your passions—they all come together to create a personal brand that defines you. Now take it one step further and incorporate that brand into your business.

There are steps for accomplishing this goal, and I talk about them in great detail in my book, but the basic concept remains the same: Make your personal brand and your business brand one. And don’t forget that it all has to happen within the guidelines of authenticity. Don’t be a fake. Stay genuine and true to your passions and your ideals. Balance is only achieved if and when you stay true to your passions—and you refuse to separate your business brand from your personal brand.

Use public relations to create buzz.

If your budget looks like mine, you’re probably cutting back on advertising and ramping up your PR efforts. A common misconception is that advertising and public relations are the same. Let me clarify. Advertising is paid placement; PR is third-party coverage, as in a reporter included you or your business in an article. This can be much more credible than advertising, but you lose the control you have when you place an ad. Keep in mind the pros and cons of both. A good PR campaign can have lasting effects, creating buzz and driving sales.

For one entrepreneur, doing her own public relations paid off—big time. Sara Blakely, the creator of Spanx—footless pantyhose—debated whether to use a big PR agency or do her own publicity work in-house. “I believed so much in my dream that the idea of someone pitching it who maybe hadn’t even worn Spanx just completely freaked me out,” Sara said in a Startup Nation article. Working out of the back of her apartment, Sara hired a PR assistant and went after celebrity testimonials, receiving rave reviews from stars Renee Zellweger and Gwyneth Paltrow. She even sent a gift basket to Oprah that landed her on Oprah’s “Favorite Things” show and a nice endorsement from the media mogul. The next day her sales skyrocketed.

“With no money to advertise, I had to do things in a way that were on the edge. A lot of news editors and other people hung up on me at first when I said, ‘I’m calling from Spanx.’ But I took the most boring subject on the planet, pantyhose, and made it something people wanted to talk about,” Sara said. Sara’s strategy worked, putting her on the cover of magazines, on a top-rated reality TV show and as head of a $150 million-dollar business offering 100 different styles.

If PR isn’t your forte, consider hiring someone or working with an outside agency. Do you have publicity success stories? Let us know!

The pressure of doing it all and starting a business

If you have always dreamed of being an entrepreneur but feel pulled in a dozen different directions, I have a few tips for you.

If you are committed to making your dreams a reality, you must stop and take some time to focus. I mean really clear your plate of all of life’s demands for a short while. Then, focus on your goals. What are they? Where do you want to go? What kind of business plan do you envision? What does your brand look like?

At this point, it’s up to you, so fire up that laptop or get out your pencil and get started. Record your thoughts and commit them to action. While it’s never too late to get started, there is no time like the present. Good luck!

Do you have an entrepreneurial success story? I’d love to hear from you!

Kiva.org- Helping entrepreneurs in the developing world “go for it” $25 at a time.

Recently I learned about Kiva.org, an amazing micro-lending Web site for the working poor. Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. It’s an opportunity for people like you and me to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. These are real individuals in need of funding. Despite their current circumstances, they’ve decided to “go for it,” because they know they can—and they will. Get involved, and you will be helping a real person make strides towards economic independence.

Amaka Okpara, 23, married with one child, lives in Lagos State, Nigeria, where she makes bags that she designs herself. While she is happy because the demand for her bags increases during this festive time of the year, she needs money to purchase materials. Through Kiva.org, she is requesting a loan of $1,200.00 that she plans to repay in eight months. But Amaka is not alone in her quest. In the Shartuz District of Tajikistan, Dilbar Asadova needs money to purchase additional inventory for her small, rural market where she sells food, clothing and personal products. Before starting her business in 2000, Dilbar was a housewife, but after her husband died she needed a way to support their four children. Her goal is to grow the business so that she is the biggest market in town.

These are just a few of the examples of women who have decided to “go for it” as entrepreneurs. In spite of the fact that they live in poor conditions, lack education and the necessary capital, they have found a way to grow their businesses through Kiva.org.

You, too, can help. I’ve decided to donate 20 percent of my book sales to Kiva.org. When you purchase a copy of Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs from the Real You Incorporated site between now and Jan. 2, 2009, you’ll also be helping women entrepreneurs like Amaka and Dilbar.

Economy have you down? Start your own business.

Does the economy and the job market have you down? Well now is a great time to start thinking about what you are truly passionate about.

This is the perfect time to take a break and think about what you really want out of the upcoming years. Do you want to continue working for the same company? Where do your passions lie? How and when are you going to put your passions into actions?

With the US losing 605,000 jobs in the first right months of 2008 and the unemployment rate reaching 6.1% in Aug. 2008, according to The Center for American Progress, the corporate world doesn’t look so stable. If you are thinking about starting your own business, now is the prefect time to do your research, see what’s happening in your potential industry and fill the voids.

There are unlimited resources out there to help you. Inc.com and Entrepreneur.com are great sites for aspiring entrepreneurs.

To help put your entrepreneurial vision together, check out the chart creator at RealYouIncorporated.com.

Hard Work Does Pay Off

I have some great news to share. I was recently awarded the 2008 Stevie Award for Women in Business in the category for Best Entrepreneur.

Thanks to my amazing team at Real Living and all of our phenomenal agents and franchisees who continue to grow our brand throughout the country. Without your dedication and passion, this would not have been possible.

Remember that you can make your dreams a reality. With vision, steadfast determination and a great support system, you can achieve anything!

Believe in yourself, as there is always another option.

Perhaps you’re experiencing a setback in your career, or maybe you’re faced with a new challenge, either personally or professionally. It could be that you’re bored with your current situation and you need something new and inspiring to set things in motion once again. Don’t panic. There are options. You just need to uncover them. Begin by reflecting on a similar situation in your life. Then use the memory of that experience to help you plan for the future. At the same time, identify your most resilient attributes. Are you flexible, determined and/or confident? Once you’ve identified some key attributes, combine them with what you’ve learned from past experiences, and move forward—all the while looking for new options.

Karen Hough, founder of ImprovEdge LLC, knows what it means to be flexible. She has taken her background in improvisational acting and applied it to the business world where she uses it to provide training and consulting to businesses. By doing so, she looks for ways to help people communicate, behave and work differently. Why? Because people can get stuck, and when that happens, they need to look for another option. Quite simply, they need to get unstuck. According to Hough, it’s not that hard to do—as long as you believe in yourself and remain open to other options.

What about you? Are you temporarily stuck? Do you lack motivation, or have you hit a roadblock in your career? Now is the time to look for options. Begin with Real Fact #1 in Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs—It All Starts With You. Then learn more about Karen Hough in RYI’s featured entrepreneur section.

Become a Featured Entrepreneur
Do you have advice based on your journey to entrepreneurship? Become a RYI featured entrepreneur by e-mailing me, or tell us your story in the Share Forum!