Passionately On Purpose with Cara Lumen

How to Create Positive Change

Cara Lumen — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:46:07 +0000

It’s funny, we do it all the time but we only try to maneuver it when things start looking scary. I’m talking about our life, our business, our circumstances. We attract to us everything we experience simply by our thoughts and actions. So if something is unpleasant we have to make changes inside in order to change the outside.

You get what you look for

I know someone who expects the worst – and she gets it. She expects to be slighted and she is. She expects to be ignored and she is. I know someone else who feels deserving and she attracts great opportunities. Your life begins and ends within - with what you believe you deserve and what you believe can happen.

How to change your life

Some changes are happening in my life and I get to make new choices and attract new opportunities. How do I get to vote on what shows up? By my expectations. For instance, I’m ready for more clients and as I review my Red Velvet Rope policy I know that I want people who value my work, believe in the coaching process, do their assignments and are eager to serve others. Oh yes, and have the funds to pay for it. As I move through my day I keep the image in my mind of people like that calling me and signing up for sessions. Then I will recognize them when they call.

Some of my projects are coming to an end and there is room for new ones. How do I choose? How do I attract the best ones possible? In my case, I’m going to take more contemplative time - time to draw a mind map, to list a zillion possible projects, to look at my business and see what it needs and see that my passion is still high about how I am in service. And I’m going to particularly look at what people are asking me to do for them. It’s like checking the engine of your car – is every part of your business in working order? Will it take you where you want to go?

What does your life/business need now?

What’s missing? What have you been putting off? What would you love to do if you had time? What would make your heart sing? The funny thing is that we make up our life by our choices so why shouldn’t you simply choose to do what you love to do? See what you need to stop doing that you only think you should be doing and start doing what is calling you.

Overcome your reservations

Interviewing others for a podcast has been on my list for a year. It would be a great way to reach out and get to know others and it would be fun to do. But it has yet to make it to the top of my "I’m Doing It!" list. It’s time consuming, it means committing to a regular schedule, it means pushing through to another level of technical knowledge. Gee, that’s a pretty good list of reservations standing in my way. All of which are made up by me. And I’m just the person who can undo them. Look at what’s stopping you and push it aside. There’s too much fun waiting on the other side to delay moving forward.

Stay open to the unexpected

About the time I get my list prioritized and have a clue where to start an unexpected opportunity will come up and the whole scenario will change. That’s the fun part – being surprised and being invited to move in a direction you hadn’t considered.

You do need to know your core purpose so you can keep your choices in alignment with where you want to go, but at the same time, let the new opportunities open new doors for you. Go exploring, you can always change direction after you check it out.

Be willing to change

You have to make room for change to occur. You have to make it OK for things to be different. I know I’m at a crossroads. I know things have to change - are changing and I’m willing to change. I want to invite new elements into my life. So I’m going to take time to journal and mind map, listen to what people are asking me to do for them, overcome my own reservations, and explore every opportunity that shows up. That’s how I’m going to create positive change.

Cara Lumen, MA, The Vision Distiller, keeps you passionately on purpose as you work to make a difference in the world. She helps you believe you can! Through her Magnetic Marketing Method, Cara creates personalized stepping stones that keep you passionately on purpose. You are invited to keep in touch with Cara through her Passionately On Purpose emagazine at www.caralumen.com

What Do You Need To Learn Next?

Cara Lumen — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:03:13 +0000

I used to do temp work. And every time I was without an assignment I learned a new software program - I upgraded my skills to make myself more valuable as an employee. I still do that with my own business. When there is a lull or I perceive a need to make a change, I look around to see what I need to learn next.

Create your own curriculum

There’s always something more you can master. If you are a natural marketer, study your administration skills and streamline them. If you know that networking is a valuable strategy and you have yet to successfully find your comfort zone with it, study that and make your version of it happen. It’s always easy to go learn more about what you love to do, but don’t neglect those skills you would do well to strengthen. Be willing to include them in the curriculum you create for yourself.

Is your marketing foundation in place?

If you don’t have a strong who and do what statement, if your Red Velvet Rope policy is not in place, if your target market is not well defined you have to start there. You cannot leap off and create a web site or start writing an ebook until you know why you are doing it and for whom you are doing it. You may benefit from having a coach help you move through these defining stages. An outside eye can often identify what you are too close to see. You have to lay a strong foundation for whatever it is you need to do next.

What strategies have you mastered?

When I became a Book Yourself Solid Coach I discovered I had mastered the more complex self-promotion strategies of Web, Writing and Speaking but I did not have the mandatory strategies in place. I went to work on my Networking, Referral, Direct Outreach and Keep In Touch Strategies. Some are easier for me to do than others, but they are all in my self-curriculum

Can people find you and start to connect?

The whole point of business is to build relationships with others so you have to find a way to meet them and greet them. Online we use a web site with a strong opt in offer to create that initial connection. If your foundation is in place you are ready for a web site. Get some guidance and coaching on this. It will save you time and money. You need to install the most effective back ends like your shopping cart and autoresponders and learn to use them. You need to create compelling opt in offers, and write content that pulls your visitors into your sphere of influence. Writing for the web is a specific technique you can learn.

Take the technical aspects one step at a time

Ok, I put off learning audio for a year. But I did learn it and it was actually easy after I moved through it and is invaluable to know. I’ve worked in Camtasia, I create my own web site in DreamWeaver, I can work in CoralDraw and Photoshop, I use PowerPoint all the time for my teleclasses, I can edit my teleclasses in SoundForge but video still sits there like some huge challenge. I just need to take it one more step at a time. And I probably need to get help from a coach or take a class or find some good on-line video to teach me. And yes, we need to push out of our comfort zones and master some of these wonder technical opportunities because once we do a whole new place to play opens up for us.

Learn from Others

There is so much great information given away for free on the internet. Find a few people to follow and sign up for their blogs, listen to their interviews and take notes. New book author interviews are a fascinating source. People promoting their workshops give away tons of valuable information. Be selective. Find the people that deliver good content and make it a habit to tune in to their calls.

Enroll in a class

My first teleclass was a two month marketing class. Since then I’ve had training to become a certified teleclass leader, an information product development expert, a Guerrilla Marketing Coach and a Book Yourself Solid Coach. I’ve taken classes on podcasting, radio publicity, and attracting traffic to your web site. I have volunteered in learning environments as a team leader where I got to deepen my knowledge, expand my coaching/leadership skills, make great connections and learn from the participants. On line courses range from one call to 15 weeks or longer. They are usually recorded and are packed with valuable information. Learning online is easy, fun and cost-effective.

Get a coach

A coach will keep you on track, guide you where you want to go, hold your vision and keep you moving toward it. A coach will help you move through your barriers, help you identify and develop your strengths, and get you up and running in a business that you love to do. If you want to make rapid personalize progress, 1:1 or mastermind group coaching is the way to go.

Teach what you need to know

A few years ago I wanted to expand my article writing strategy so I created a teleclass to teach others how to write magnetic articles and in the process upleveled my knowledge and my own participation in the strategy. As I explore and strengthen my own skills I create teleclasses in which I teach others small segments of the marketing process or the process of creating compelling information products. Teaching helps me own the material and it creates interesting products to offer my clients.

Keep your curiosity vibrant

I love to learn so whenever something peaks my interest I go learn at least a little something more about it - enough to know whether I want to explore it further. Keep an eye out for what’s new and interesting. You don’t have to pursue it but at least understand what it can do for you. As a business coach I have to know at least a little something about nearly everything that will show up for my clients and if I’m not knowledgeable I must have a resource in place. Look at your business. See what you need to know and sign up for something. Whatever you need to know next - go learn it!

© 2009 You are welcome to use this ariicle in your own work and publications if you include this bio with it. Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller is a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach who helps entrepreneurs move their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve. If you are ready to become a Success Magnets and Book Yourself Solid visit Cara at www.caralumen.com

Buy Yourself a Full Length Mirror and Face the Facts

Cara Lumen — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:03:34 +0000

It wasn’t until I recently purchased a full length mirror that I was able to get real about how I look. It allowed me to admire the weight loss and objectively toss the now too big clothes. It lets me look at what needs toning and what still needs to go. The same goes for your business. Periodically, you have to take a long hard look in the mirror to see how you are progressing and how you need or want to change.

Keep a Clear Reflection

I’m in a bit of an identity crisis because I am changing both my physical look and my business look. As I toss the physical look I no longer choose to have, I am simultaneously re-writing my web content to reposition my business. - my look and feel even the way I "package" myself. I have rebundled my services. I have changed my pricing, not so much by how much but the package it comes in that encourages my clients to make longer commitments – to expect more from themselves and from me. I am taking a new training that is encouraging many of these changes.

Just as I clear out my closet of garments that no longer fit, I also discard the clients that no longer fit – the ones who are too needy, or too scared to move forward, or who don’t do their homework so they can make progress.

As I was going through this personal identity crisis and prepare to move into a larger arena, my daughter Cathy, have me this advice: "Don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want."

What do I want? Who do I want to attract? What do I need to change? And most of all, what does that look like?

Shed 10% Every Quarter

Clayton Makepeace the well-known copy writer in a recent blog post suggested we, "Shed the worst 10% of everything you’ve got: employees, vendors, clients or customers, pseudo-friends, b.s. stuff you do, even crap accumulated around you."

What is weighing you down? What and who can you release that will set you free? How are you limiting yourself by your beliefs in what is possible?

Measure Your Results

My life is constantly changing. My current metamorphosis includes body, mind and business. It is an identity crisis. I have to make new choices about everything – the size clothes I buy, the look I decide upon, the expanding of my business, the enlargement of my dream. Of course things much change. Of course I need to reexamine every choice. It’s fun and it’s a bit scary.

Fortunately I’ve been consistently measuring aspects of my business so I let Goggle Analytics tell me what sales pages are drawing people and where they are coming from. I let Google Alert tell me when a certain article is picked up for someone else’s blog. I changed my opt in offer to increase my conversion rate. As I learn more and explore more I change my offers. And I continue to listen to my clients to see what they need next.

I’m planning my 10% Shedding Days around the Solstice and Equinox because they are good reminders of a perfect time to change. I’m going to check my measurements, expand my vision and look in the full length mirror to see how I’ve changed and what I can now let go.

And I’m going to keep an eye on my full length mirror to be sure I’m showing up the way I want to.

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller, helps entrepreneurs expand their vision, extend their reach and touch lives all over the world. Her Magnetic Marketing Method helps you create prosperity from your inside out. You can find more articles like this in The Success Magnets Emagazine atwww.caralumen.com

Know Your Value, Value What You Know

Cara Lumen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:58:26 +0000

I didn’t get the bid but I sure learned a lot about how I can and must value what I have to offer. How do we make that shift, that shift that keeps us from underselling ourselves, or our services, or even our expectations.

Know how much you know

This was a bid to write a teleclass for someone else. I’ve written tons of teleclasses for myself and have been asked if I would consider writing for others but I never perused it. So I decided to bid on this opportunity. Now I’ve been well trained, I’m a Certified Teleclass Leader and I’m experienced and through the years I have added creative elements to my teleclasses so the students get great value.

This project was based on a 52 page book. If part of the teleclass series is to read the book – guess what –you’ve gotta add more content. And because it’s a learning environment you have to create experientials that help the students own the material.

That comes out of my brain, my knowledge, my background, my experience.

And that has great value.

Do it right

Giving a teleclass is not just about talking and hanging out. It’s about offering more than they expect; it’s about organizing your content so they get it! So that they go away with a shift in their awareness. And that takes planning. And knowledge. And insights. And thought.

And that has great value.

So in my bid I added all the small things I know how to do to build community and keep the learning process going.

It is very effective.

Bid its true value

It’s tricky to bid copy writing. You really don’t know in advance how long it will actually take you. A copy writing colleague of mine suggested I bid by the day or half day. That allows for whatever takes longer than you figured on. Then she told me to decide what I wanted to earn per day and create the bid.

One other thing influenced my bid. This is material that can be repeated over and over after it is created so it has a long shelf life. It will keep on generating income.

I considered that in setting my price.

List the extras

In my bid I listed all the extras – my own teleclass template, the community building material and on the bid simply marked it "included." That clearly indicated the extra value I was providing.

See what new doors it opens

But here’s the big gift – it opened up a new place of service for me. I put my copy writing and content editing services back on my web site and wrote a sales page about creating teleclass and workshop curriculum for others based on what I decided and discovered while creating this bid. When other people ask you to do something for them – listen. See if it’s what you love to do, see if it’s profitable and add it to y our services if it would be fun to do.

Value what you know

It turns out I had a bigger vision than the person looking for a bid, or maybe a greater sense of the value I had to offer when I start bringing everything I know into a project. I could have lowered my bid, or taken things out – but that wouldn’t have made it as top notch as I want all my work to be. I don’t want to settle I want to play big and bigger.

And you know what, a few days later I was hired for a really big curriculum development project by someone who knows my value and values what I know.

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller is a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach who helps entrepreneursmove their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve. If you are ready to become a Success Magnet and Book Yourself Solid visit Cara at www.caralumen.com

There is No Such Thing as Instant Business

Cara Lumen — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:19:24 +0000

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither can you build your business overnight. There are too many decisions to be made - too much personal growth to be encouraged. I continue to have coaching clients come to me eager to start attracting clients but they have not done their foundation work. And that basic work simply takes time. It takes time to uncover your most effective place of service. It takes great decision-making to focus your business into an effective organism, and it takes a sequence of position-building steps to create a firm foundation upon which to build your business. It’s an unfolding process that simply takes time.

Who do you serve and what do you offer them?

I have coached many service professionals in the healing modalities. Their work can often be successfully applied to just about any person with any ailment. But that is such a broad target market that no one will recognize themselves in that positioning and will not have any clue that they are the perfect client for that services provider. So the first thing any of us have to do is choose a target market and narrow our niche. And that niche keeps changing. I just tweaked my niche today – again. Defining your business and positioning yourself is an on-going process that requires frequent self-evaluation and awareness of the changing marketplace. Once you get your "who and do what" statement figured out you are at least aiming in the right general direction. I went from "I help entrepreneurs attract the people they are meant to serve" to "I help resourceful women entrepreneurs move their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve." Do you see how the additional bit of definition helps people recognize themselves and how it helps me recognize my ideal client?

The pressure of earning money leads to overwhelm

You may or may not be an overnight success, but there are many steps to take before the income can be generated. And those steps take time depending on the depth of your business experience and the clarity of your vision. What are your strengths? How can you best capitalize on them? What is your packaging? What is your pricing? What marketing strategies are you going to use? Allow time for those answers to emerge. I can urge you to use all four mandatory self-promotion strategies but each one takes focused time to put into place with your unique approach. Give yourself lime to decide upon and implement the marketing strategies that suit you and your business.

Stay with it

It takes six weeks for marketing to work. So if you market really hard for four weeks and stop because you don’t see any results, you’ll find that in two more weeks you will see some results. But those results will ultimately stop because you stopped. Marketing is a consistent, weekly, daily activity.

It takes seven to nine contacts with a prospect before a purchase is made. What happens if you quit after four? Not a lot. When you promote a teleclass or a new product, schedule your marketing to begin six weeks out and plan seven to nine ways to remind people of your offer.

Listen to the messages you receive

You are always receiving feedback from many directions - your intuition, your clients, the success or non success of a marketing strategy. Keep listening. Take notes. Set up ways to measure. Your clients will tell you what your unique gifts are. Listen to what they ask you for. Notice what they compliment you on. Listen to what else they need that you might give them.

Take measurements. Write down how many people are on your list, record what strategy you are putting into play and check the numbers in three months. See what strategies are being the most productive for you and do more of those.

Notice what kind of referrals you are getting. I am both a coach and a writer. I’m marketing the coaching more but I am getting steady referrals for my writing. I have to listen to that and see if I’m missing a larger message about my business structure and/or my marketing.

Cultivate your strengths

Entrepreneurs are often multitalented and certainly multi-interested. So much of our work is about making decisions - choosing one thing over another, letting go of one thing in order to make room for something new. Uncover your core motivation and honor it with every choice. I am a lifelong learner and a teacher. All my choices must be held up to those two strengths.

I know what I’m not particularly good at and there are a few things that I have to work with and around in order to find my unique but still effective approach. Listen to your own testimonials. Read your own "press." Notice what others see in you and build on it.

Growth takes time

Life is an unfolding process. We must allow it to happen. Building a business is an unfolding process. It is about growing you. It is about unfolding your potential. It takes time to learn new things, make new decisions, uncover new insights, and develop new strengths. Business is not instant – it is a glorious adventure of self-discovery and a gradual awakening to your perfect place of service. Don’t rush the process. Enjoy every minute of it.

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller is a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach who helps entrepreneurs move their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve. If you are ready to become a Success Magnets and Book Yourself Solid visit Cara at www.caralumen.com

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

Cara Lumen — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:22:49 +0000

Most of what I do I love. But recently I’ve noticed there is a resistance, a reluctance to make a list and set some plans and take certain steps. There’s even a tightness in my stomach when I put certain items on my "To Do" list.

What needs to change? What do I need to do differently?

I do — deep inside. It’s time to see where I am, decide where I want to be and make some new choices. It is about finding my new rhythm. Where do I place into my day the things I want to do?

Deepen Your Spiritual Practice

One of the major changes I have made is to find a place to fit in a daily Falun Gong practice. I do it in the morning after I’m dressed for my day. The last step in the practice leads me into meditation. I can feel my energy balancing as I thoughtfully practice this powerful moving meditation. I notice the increased deepness of my sitting meditation. There is deep inner work going on that I know only by sensation, not by recognition.

Deepening your spiritual practice is one way to make change.

Allow it to unfold

I started to write “make a bold goal, think a big vision.” But that’s part of the doing, not the being and being is where change is made.

I have deepened my level of gratitude. Before I go to sleep. Upon awakening. During the day. I continue to feel the blessings that surround me. The goodness that is in my life. The fluidity of my experience. And I am grateful.

Allowing your life to unfold is like going on an adventure. You don’t know what will be around the next corner. And if you truly want to have an adventure, you will allow yourself to follow new paths on a whim — this feels right, I’ll go here, I’ll do this.

There is patience that is needed to allow it to unfold. Patience and a belief that there is a grand plan, that you are an integral part of it, and that all is and will be well in your world.

Do what you love

Do the parts of life you love. Do the parts of your business that you love. Be with the people you love. Follow your emotions. Allow them to lead you to fulfillment and celebration, happiness and affection. Your emotions are your guides. They help you choose what will nourish you and help you leave behind everything and everyone that no longer serves you.

Love what you do

If you no longer love what you do, change it. Tweak it, toss it, start again. Whatever it takes to let you fall back in love with what you do.

It’s when we are in love with what we do, when we are in celebration of all we are, that others find us attractive and come to join in our enthusiasm. Honor your heart’s calling. Allow yourself the freedom of choosing to do what makes your heart sing. You will be happiest when you do what you love and love what you do.

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller is a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach who helps entrepreneurs move their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve. If you are ready to become a Success Magnets and get booked solid visit Cara at www.caralumen.com

New Vision = New Direction = New Action

Cara Lumen — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:16:32 +0000

My business has made a 90 degree turn in the last two months and I’m looking over my foundation again to realign it with my new vision. I was very happily helping people develop web content and create information products until I became a Book Yourself Solid Coach and found the system and the structure that allowed me to take people from vision to venue. It was like being shot out of a cannon. My vision expanded, my expectations increased and my target market sharpened. All because I added a certification to my credentials and positioned myself differently in my business. Now I have to match my actions to my vision so I can make it happen.

The "Why I Do It" Statement

At the core of your business must be an understanding of why you do it. And why you do it must be filled with passion. Why do you get up every morning and joyously go about doing whatever is necessary to make your business grow? If you are not happy, not excited, not eager to get to work you are not in the right place doing the work you were meant to do. You might want to do something about that.

My core reason for being and doing is to learn and teach but I get more excited about learning and teaching some things more than others. Does my new vision make me even more excited than my old one? It sure does. It expands my thinking, changes my target audience and opens up new opportunities.

The "Who and Do What" Statement

Your who-and-do-what statement takes time to develop and it often changes as you change. You have to keep an eye on it to be certain it reflects your passion and will take your business where it needs to go. This new vision changed my target market. Not a lot, I just upgraded my expectations about who would come play with me and what we could do together. It got me very excited and made it necessary for me to reexamine everything - my web words, the structure of my offerings, my tag line even the bundling and pricing of my offerings.

I had to have a coach to help me do it. I knew I wanted to change my target audience but I couldn’t do it for myself. I was standing in my own way. So I got help from my coach and was propelled into greater expectations and infinitely more possibilities. If you need help making the leap, ask for it.

What’s working?

Every quarter I examine my measurable results to see what is working and what is not. I examine how the needs of my target market might have changed, how I have changed, what new skills I have learned, what new friends I have made that are potential joint ventures.

I reexamined the goal I had set myself for the year to see if it still is the perfect goal or if it should be shifted or expanded. Then I looked to see if everything I am doing helps make that goal a reality. If it does, it stays, if not, it goes.

How does your new vision make you feel?

Every once in a while I feel like I’m spinning in place there are so many interesting choices. Taking time to evaluate where you are, how you got there and where you want to go should include how you want to feel. Do you want to learn more or are you full up of information? Do you want to get involved with a community service so you can get out of your home office? What new hobby would you like to undertake that would offer a change of pace and rhythm?

What is your body telling you? What needs adjusting on your emotional level? How are you nourishing yourself spiritually? A new vision means making new choices.

How can I expand my vision?

My vision seems to expand with everything I learn. There are always so many possibilities that present themselves. Check out your excitement level. Hold up the new vision with your core passion and see how it expands your thinking. Let your vision expand. Tweak it. Let it fly. Let it show you the new direction you can go and then design the new action steps to get yourself there.

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller is a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach who helps entreneurs move their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve. If you are ready to become a Sucess Magnet and Book Yourself Solid visit Cara at www.caralumen.com

How to Identify the Red Flag Client

Cara Lumen — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:51:43 +0000

She was abusive, disrespectful, and bad-mouthed the person she had worked with before. How on earth did she get through the Red Velvet Rope Policy and how can you identify a red flag client before you start?

Define Your Red Velvet Rope Policy

You know those soft red velvet ropes that are lowered to let certain people in and keep others out. We each get to create our own red velvet rope policy to be certain we work with people we are meant to serve.

The client I described was not mine, it was a client of a friend of mine and my friend was in knots because even when she said she wanted to end the client relationship the woman cried which made my kind friend have a hard time sticking by her decision. And it was an example of how manipulative the woman was.

We talked about how she was not serving in the role of friend to this needy person. She needed to place herself in the role of a professional keeping a professional relationship with her clients. She needed to define and set boundaries for herself. She gets to make choices about how she wants to work with people and who she wants to work with.

Why you must do the choosing

Think of a client that you do not like to work with. Are you resentful? Do you drag your heels a bit when it’s time for her call? Will you be glad when the time agreement has expired? That’s not a good match. That’s certainly not your ideal client.

Now remember how great you feel when you love the client you are working with - the great work you do - the satisfaction you feel at your clients’ success. That’s why you must choose your clients carefully. So you can do your best work.

How you can spot the red flag clients

What intake structure can you put in place that will help you recognize a potentially poor relationship and never undertake it? Well, you need to have a really clear picture of your ideal client - particularly the qualities you want to attract. Do you want to work with people just beginning in business, ones that have established themselves and are ready for a big next step, or a high end client that needs someone to help them keep a larger company on track? Do you want a person who is decisive or one who prefers to ask five of their friends for an opinion before making up their mind? Does your ideal client keep her agreements and exhibit innovative entrepreneurialism to solve their problems? Is your client capable of achieving success? Do they want it? Do they expect it? Will they accept success?

You need to create a few questions that you can ask in your initial conversation with a potential client that will let you know that this is a person you are meant to serve.

How much business/marketing knowledge do they have?

This is important because if a client is new to business they need to be very clear why they are in business and who they want to serve. They need to have a business plan and a marketing plan. If they haven’t done that you will need to help them through those steps. This is foundational work that needs to be in place and be continually reviewed. It is the holder of their vision and the design of their path. .

What do they have in place and what is working and what is not?

When I work with people on web page development I need to know what they have in place - opt in, shopping cart, web host, merchant account, blog, etc.

I need to know their vision.

And they need to know what is working and want is not. When they know where their strengths are it shows me they have set up measurable guidelines and continually monitor their progress.

How pro active are they?

Will this person do their homework, follow up on their agreements, and think up new ideas and possibilities? Those people are wonderfully exciting to work with. If they are really full of ideas will they allow you to help them focus and accomplish one step/project at a time? Will they take direction and do they value what you have to offer?

Listen to what they don’t say

It’s trickier to discover what their personality is like to work with. Ask them about their relationships with other professionals and listen to what they do and don’t say. Are they kind, respectful, honest? Or disgruntled, and complaining? Ask some open questions and then just listen and you’ll get some good clues that will alert you to any potential red flags.

Make it ok to say "no"

Expect the best from everyone but listen to your intuition. Don’t take a client because they have a pulse and a pocketbook. If it doesn’t feel right see who else you can recommend, or simply say, "This isn’t something I can help you with." If you are their last chance or they are under a last minute deadline that is a major red flag. That means no one else wants to work with them and they wait till the last minute to get things done. Don’t fall for their story. Your life and business is yours to design. You are the director who casts the play and directs the action. Cast the players in your business thoughtfully.

You are not meant to work with everyone. There are certain people that you are meant to serve and when you do you can help them achieve amazing results.

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller, is a certified Book Yourself Solid Coach who helps entrepreneurs move their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve. If you are ready to become a Success Magnet and Book Yourself Solid visit Cara at www.caralumen.com

How Green is Your Office?

Cara Lumen — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:43:42 +0000

You know the saying "pretty is as pretty does"? Well, "green is as green does." The planet is cared for one person at a time. So I looked around my office to see if it was a green as I could get it.

Print on both sides of paper

This is such a simply one and I really fussed about doing it. "How can I tell which side is which when it’s all my stuff?" "It confuses me. I want things to be neat." I gave that one up. I use binders a lot and so if I punch the holes in the right side I’m always looking at the side of the page I need to see.

Don’t print a lot

There are so few things I really need to print out. I have three pieces of paper I continually update and keep printed out by my desk – my family phone numbers (which I could program into my phone or look up on my computer) my most frequently used passwords (again, they are on my printer but I use this paper a lot), a calendar of my own making upon which I color my scheduled events. The only other things I print out are sometimes teleclass scripts (although I usually read those off the monitor) or notes for a radio interview (which actually go better if I don’t look at my notes). I take notes on my computer while I am coaching my clients or listening to a teleclass, and my "to do" list is always open on my computer. There is no need to print. Besides, when it’s on my computer I can edit it, underline it bold it color it, move it forward– whatever it takes to call it to my attention in the future. Next time you start to print something ask yourself if it is really necessary.

Get email fax

We don’t need to print out those faxes, we just need to have them as record and since email faxes come as a PDF we can print them out if we do want to. This eliminates paper usage and the need for a separate machine cluttering up your office and using electricity.

Buy recycled paper

It may be a bit more expensive but I’m also not using very much paper any more so recycled works for me. And since I print on both sides I get even more value from each sheet.

Turn off electronics not in use

Anything that is plugged in, whether it is turned on or not, is pulling electricity. I have two surge protectors. One I willing turn off at night because it holds my lamp and speaker system and printers. The other has my modem and computer so I have a choice about whether to turn that off or not.

Keep temperatures down and wear warm clothes

Let’s face it, sitting at a computer doesn’t keep the blood flowing and your feet warm from natural activity. I have a colorful shawl I put around my shoulders if I get cold sitting at my computer and a soft blanket for my knees. And I now have a wonderful collection of colored thermal shirts for the winter and I live in California! Wearing layered clothes allows you to adjust to your own body temperature.

Can your lunch scraps go in with the yard waste?

They can in my city. So the leftovers from your lunch (if you don’t have a dog) can go in with the yard waste to decompose. I keep a special lidded container on my kitchen counter and use it instead of the disposal. It is for organic waste, not meat products. Check with your local waste management company and if they don’t do it, suggest it!

Make one shopping trip a week

This isn’t for everyone but working out of a home office means I don’t have to go out much. But when I do I make certain I get everything done that needs doing. Bank, groceries, etc. all in one trip. And I keep my car tuned and its tires inflated. It happens to be a 95 Honda Civic which has gotten 30 mpg all its life and for my purposes has only reached a healthy middle age.

Green is in the small things

I don’t know if buying a refillable pen counts but it eliminates my throwing away a used up stick pen. I’m using pencils a lot and like them for my calendar and for note taking. I have a lot of left over index cards that I will never use so I now keep them on my desk in an easy-to-grab place to take notes on. Once one side is handled I mark a line through it and turn it over ready for more notes. I cleaned out my office and emptied a lot of binders. All of that paper is waiting to be recycled. I have at least 18 inches waiting its turn. I keep plants in my office – for my health and for my pleasure. My recycle waste basket is within arm’s reach and makes a regular trip out to the curb in my paper recycle container. On the one day a week I water my flowers, I catch the water that is lost as I wait for my shower to warm up and use it for that purpose. I’m not yet willing to haul water from upstairs to down in order to recycle water on the rest of the week but I’m aware of it as a possibility. What are you willing to do? What one or two things can you do in your office today that will make it a shade greener?

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller is a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach who helps entrepreneurs move their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve. If you are ready to become a Success Magnet and Book Yourself Solid visit Cara at www.caralumen.com

7 Ways to Change Overwhelm to Success

Cara Lumen — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:02:16 +0000

Ok. I’m in overwhelm I admit it. I have so many exciting ideas and opportunities that I’m almost frozen in place. So I made up some criteria to guide me.

1 - Does it bring in income?

The bottom line is you have to stay close to the money. But you also have to maintain balance. Schedule your client appointments to suit you. Don’t fit yourself in around their schedule. Set aside three days, pick the time slots that let you serve the number of clients you want. Allow time in your schedule to take a break and prepare for the next client. That’s the foundation of your schedule. Once that’s filled, check your income, your time, and your financial goals before you add another day of clients. Then only fill one more day at a time. With conscious scheduling you will earn the income you desire and have time for family, friends, personal pleasure and self care.

2 -Have I scheduled time to grow my business?

I keep Mondays’ open to grow my business. Writing is one of my major core strategies because I love to do it and I’m good at it. So Mondays is about communication: my emazagine, blog, posting articles on line, adding posts to the Think Big Revolution, the Book Yourself Solid Network and FaceBook. It’s also time to scope out my week and add projects and set specific goals to accomplish. Set aside one whole day to market and grow your business.

3 -Does it offer networking opportunities?

To network effectively you have to go hang out where your target market is. Michael Port’s Think Big Revolution is a dynamite site that is drawing big thinkers with big projects. Time spent exploring and posting there is inspiring. My other favorite place is again a brain child of Michaels’ the Book Yourself Solid Network. As a BYS Certified Coach I’m always adding new information to enrich that membership site. These are both networking and credibility builders. For me it is time well spent. I do this on my Monday grow-my-business-day. Chose your unique networking venues and be a steady participant.

4 - Does it offer educational and skill building opportunities?

This is one of my favorites and the one I have to work hardest to keep in balance. I love to learn. But just how many emagazines do I want to read, how many teleseminars do I want to attend, how much formal training do I want to get? What about the books that are piling up to be read? There is a point when I am full up of information and can’t hold a drop more. Set a goal to add one new insight or piece of knowledge a week. For me those often end up being passed forward in articles that I write and share with others.

5 - Is it just plain fun and will it make you happy?

I happen to love what I do, so being at my computer is just plain fun and it makes me happy. But balance is good and changing what I am doing most of the time would be beneficial. Longer walks with my dog? Calling a friend just to catch up? Reading a novel? Actually going somewhere? Schedule in some play time and mark it on your calendar if it will help make it happen.

6 – Does it grow you spiritually?

What do you need to add to your life that allows you to simply move within and be still? Do you need to meditate, journal, read some inspiring poetry or an uplifting book? Do you need to drive to the ocean, or walk through a forest? Do you simply need to be more conscious and appreciative around those you love? Make time to nourish your inner self. Be certain that what you choose to do touches your heart.

7 - Leave room for surprises

I have recently discovered that my version of needing control is to map out a version of how it could work so that I can see at least one way to make it happen so I feel prepared. Then I let go and stay open to whatever shows up. I’ve learned that just because I have an exciting idea doesn’t mean I’m the one that has to do it. So, make your list, create a schedule so you can see that you are choosing balance, then let it go and enjoy the organic flow. If it doesn’t get done, ok. If something comes along that is much better to do, do it. Trust that every opportunity that comes along is accompanied by your ability to do it. Just keep choosing the things that you love to do and the people you love to do them with and you’ll be scheduled for success!

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller is a Book Yourself Solid Coach who helps entrepreneurs move their passion from vision to venue and attract the people they are meant to serve. Join the Success Magnets and get yourself booked solid at www.caralumen.com