Here’s one more round of applause for those of you in the cheap seats… confronting the fact that you are leaving people cold is goddamn hard. And brave. And it takes a mountain of humility. Yay you!

Today… we are digging in to the nitty-gritty stuff. We’re going to talk about the rough edges that many of you bravely fessed up to. In reading through the hundreds of responses, a few really strong patterns emerged. Seems as if a lot of you are dealing with some of the same stuff.

***In Part 3, I will highlight in-depth solutions to ONE of the following. You get to vote on which one.

To vote, either email me, click reply [if you're reading this in your inbox] or leave you two cents in the comments.***

Based on your Client Experience Quiz results, the top three areas you are having issues with are:

#1: “I’m not always offering my clients a personalized experience.”

One of the really valuable things about brick and mortar business is that customers and clients get to look someone in the eye and feeeel the love. They KNOW that they are valued. They can chat with you about their kids. You can send them personal birthday cards and gifts. You can offer them special deals that meet their specific needs.

Personalization is one of the biggest challenges that online businesses face. In the brick and mortar world, when you lose a client there are phone calls and discussions and personal interaction. But, because of the detached nature of the internet, gaining and losing clients lacks emotional relevance.

Why is personalization important? Because we are people, not subscribers. We like to feel heard and understood, and every single one of us has a different set of circumstances that needs to be addressed.  One of the biggest mistakes that online entrepreneurs make is thinking that one size will fit all. ‘Cuz it won’t.

Want solutions on this? Vote in the comments for 1, 2 or 3.

#2: “I’m not always connecting clients with their best possible solutions.”

On of the questions on the quiz asks if you are willing to send clients to a competitor, if you know that they would be better served elsewhere. MANY of you said no. Many of you also revealed that you were not active in connecting your clients with one another, and that you didn’t really have a system in place for referring people out when your services didn’t meet their needs.

Let’s face it people. Your skills are not limitless. If you say yes to everything – with little regard for whether it’s a good fit, what is that doing to your reputation in the long run?

How much brand equity and trust could you be building by being the person who takes pride in helping people truly get the most bang for their buck… even when that buck doesn’t end up in your wallet?

#3: “I don’t have effective systems in place that help my clients feel valued and taken care of when I’m too busy to personally connect with them.”

When you’re buried in work, or life decides to just crap on your head… how do you make sure your clients don’t end up feeling like their heads got crapped on too? This is one of the most potent areas that I will be talking about a LOT in the coming months. We have all gotten icky, “I’m just so busy with all the OTHER people and projects that are important to me… and I get SO many requests for my time, that I just can’t always get back to people right away… blah blah blah…” emails. They make me want to barf.

Guarding your time and creative spirit is one thing, but making people feel unimportant? That makes me want to hit you with a two by four. What if you walked in to a boutique and the salesperson said, “Hi! Thanks for coming in. I’m so happy you did. But, I have to re-merchandise my store right now, so can you come back later… or just wait patiently for as long as I see fit, until I can be bother to help you?” Yeah, that would fly.

Want some cool tips on stuff you can do to both guard your time and energy AND make people feel all spiffy and valued? Vote in the comments for #3.

Vote NOW! My typing fingers are itchy. I want be writen’ solutions, people! One more time… for those of you that skimmed this:

Pick one of the three topics above that you want help with. Vote #1, #2, or #3 in the comments OR if you’re reading this in your inbox, you can just click REPLY with your vote.

Still haven’t taken the quiz? Inbox readers, click here… online readers, click here.

Related Posts:

• Humanity vs. Professionalism – Why it’s so easy to forget that there are real people behind all the blogging and tweeting and posting.
• I want to tattoo your brand on my butt.
• 40 Tweetable reasons why you should stop looking for a job.

So, I decided to help by making you some valentines – interwebs style.

Mrs Bader (my first grade teacher) would be so proud. 

To use them, just click the one you want. It will open in a new window. Right click the image and save it. Re-size to your heart’s content. Share it. Send it. Attach it to a few emails. Upload and tag a few of your favorite people on Facebook. Show your people how you feel today. I promise, no one will ever lose a client (or a friend) because they show some appreciation to the people that make it all possible.

Related Posts:

• What does the moment before THE moment feel like?
• Using launch powers for good {a sort-of case study}.
• Crap I Hate Doing: Goals. Goal-setting is lame.

[If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you haven't missed out. The quiz is totally still available. If you're reading this on makeness.com and want access, click HERE. If you're reading this in your inbox, click HERE for access.]

Well kiddos, the results are in. Today marks part one of a short series based on the results and feedback I received from the first month of quiz responses.

Part two will talk about specific areas where patterns arose. I’ll discuss where some trends emerged… the stuff that many of you admitted to falling short on, and what you can do to improve.

Part three will unveil a spiffy new follow-up quiz (also free) that will help you figure out the whys and the hows behind improving your clients’ experience.

So…. drumroll please….

In the last thirty days, 971 people took the quiz.

How freaking cool is that?!?

Nearly a thousand of you stood up and said, “I CARE about my clients and I want to know how to make my business the best it can be from their perspective.”

Nearly a thousand of you said, “I want to be better. BE better. For YOU.”

Nearly a thousand of you sat down and were brutally honest with yourselves about your strengths and weaknesses.

Way to go. Together we are going to kick some ass.

And you know what? The results have surprised the hell out of me.

30% of you found out that you have everything pretty nailed down.

Your clients are happy and you are doing the best possible job of making sure that your clients get the very best of you no matter what. Well done. Pat yourselves on the back.

40% of you found out that you thought you had it all figured out, but that you might be leaving a few folks out in the cold.

Of those few, how many feel like you left them high and dry? How much has that cost you over the life of your business?

30% of you found out that you have WAAAAAAY too much on your plate to give each and every client a great experience.

Yikes! T-H-I-R-T-Y percent!?!?! Wowser. I’m dying to know how I can help you move the needle. [More on that in a bit.]

So what does it all mean?

By your own admission, it means that:

70% of you could probably do more to make your work unforgettably awesome.

70% of you are leaving money on the table.

70% of you are leaving your clients feeling less-than fulfilled.

70% of you are putting other priorities in your business ahead of what your clients really need.

Wow. That kinda blows for your clients, now, doesn’t it?!?

I mean, if your work isn’t for them, who IS it for?

So, if you were in the group that saw your results and were all like, “Holy crap, I need to get my act together,” I am offering you a special Experience-Booster Session fo’ FREE.

That’s right. Free. No strings attached. If you took the quiz and realized that you need help, I want to get on Skype with you for a half hour for a little come-to-Jesus meeting of the minds. You get some much-needed advice and I get to sleep better knowing that your clients will be happier.

Why? Because my one and only goal for Makeness is to make people happier. Better business means more happy people. Happy people come back again and again. Happy people make better choices for all. Happy people help each other. Happy people make the world a better place.

Why free?  Because if things aren’t clicking for you, you probably need help. Generally, I don’t really believe in lots of free-ness to get you on the hook. This is not that. This is you and me having a talk. You can take the advice I give or leave it. Up to you. It’s free because I know how hard it can be to see the light when you’re blinded by [pick all that apply: your own success, ego, rules for success, lack of knowledge, lack of resources, lack of support, lack of time, etc...]. Free kinda has a tendency to make people drop the bullshit excuses.

Why now? Because nearly seven hundred people out there admitted to me that they could do better.

If I can help, I would be an asshole if I didn’t.

The free Experience-Booster Sessions are available for a short time only. I only have so much time in each day, and my existing clients always have first dibs on my time and energy. To get in on a session, email me directly [illana [at] makeness.com – or just reply to this email, if you’re reading this in your inbox] with the following:

- Your name

- Your website

- Your Skype name

- Your timezone and any special needs on scheduling. **Note: I am in the Pacific timezone and will not be doing any sessions before noon Pacific.

- A quick story about where you’re at in your business and what you see as your major problem areas.

- Any specific questions you have about improving client experience.

Please be respectful of the fact that I am doing these personally and have limited time. Keep your stories and questions short and to the point. I can help you a lot more in a half hour if we stick to the heart of the issue.

In the comments, tell me either:

What your biggest pet-peaves are when you are on the client-end of a service experience.

-or-

What was the coolest thing that a company has done for you that made you feel like they valued you and your business?

Related Posts:

• Client Experience Quiz – Part 2: Top 3 Client Experience hiccups & patterns that MANY of you face.
• Humanity vs. Professionalism – Why it’s so easy to forget that there are real people behind all the blogging and tweeting and posting.
• you SO missed me. I know you did:)

Now, raise your hand if you are an actual human being.

Go ahead. Raise it. I’ll wait. [For some of us, this will be the most exercise we get all day.... lol.]

Now, raise your hand if you have, at some point in your career, been treated like a machine.

Now, reach for the sky if one of the main reasons you went into business for yourself was to be able to do outlandish things like go to the dentist whenever you feel like it, or perhaps eat dinner with your kids/friends/families on a regular basis.

Finally, raise your hand if your clients think of you as a real-live human. You only get to raise your hand if you can answer YES to all of the following questions:

Are they patient when life gets in the way of whatever they pay you for?

Are they understanding when your personal needs collide with their professional ones?

Do they naturally wait a reasonable amount of time for responses and service from you before they start getting mean? 

Yeah… I bet you aren’t raising the roof at the moment.

For the last year, I have been managing projects for some really successful and well-respected people. Each project came with its own challenges, client types, personalities, and marketing strategies. But, they all had one thing in common:

As soon as someone gives one of my clients money, they begin treating them like they own them. Whatever is promised must exceed every expectation, and they must serve them in whatever fashion buyers deem appropriate. It’s like 40-50% of people that bought product X thought that it was their right as purchasers to dictate every piece of delivery and service.

Common examples:

“I know it’s 3am where you are, but I’m awake. Why haven’t you gotten back to me on the payment plan I asked for… the one that wasn’t offered. I know you’ll make an exception for me.”

“I just have one quick question in the form of a four-page email and expect you to respond accordingly in one hour or less… oh, and I would love to chat with you via Skype about it… it’s just a quick question, no need to schedule an actual session with you.”

“I didn’t get X when I thought I would. It’s been one day. I want my money back.”

“I read all of your content, took your course, asked you a thousand questions, and I just don’t feel like I got my $29.99 worth. I want a refund.”

It’s unavoidable.

The purchase process changes the way people interact.

It changes their expectations, and it can absolutely change normal people from sweet, loving followers into fearful, over-extended buyers. More on that later.

We forget that we all started doing this for roughly the same reason - we wanted to be able to live full lives and be treated with the respect that we deserve while getting paid what we’re worth.

Simple. Right?

But then, when we give someone our money, we treat them like they have a customer-service call center at our beck and call.

Why?

Because we are used to paying companies, not people.

Buyers don’t feel this way because they have unreasonable expectations [usually]. They feel this way because our industry [and buyer pool] is made out of world changers – people who set high standards for themselves and for others. We are an industry chock-full of movers and shakers that strive to elevate the norm – be better than big business, and that’s a good thing…

…most of the time.

Unfortunately, in our very young little online world, we see the slick websites of online entrepreneurs [you know, the ones we all create to make ourselves look like we are bigger than we actually are], and we forget that there is often just one person behind that well-planned aesthetic.

One person doing billing.

One person handling customer service.

One person filing, and planning, and executing, and Skyping, and tweeting, and writing, and creating, and doing everything else that comes up when you are building and running a successful business.

The thing is, that same person also has a whole personal world full of obligations that have nothing to do with their business.

Many have challenges that pushed them onto this path – things that made traditional schedules untenable.

So my question is:

Why do we expect more from solopreneurs than we do from huge companies?

In a word: Fear

F-E-A-R.

Entrepreneurs are afraid of the very thinly veiled threat that statements like the ones above imply:

“If I don’t get what I want, I will launch a social media offensive against you that will blot out the sun.

You will be finished, and you will deserve it because you didn’t read my mind – and you failed to dazzle me at every turn.

I know I have this leverage because I know you’re small. You still care about what others think, and I won’t hesitate to use that against you.”

Icky. I know. But true.

Buyers are afraid that the course or product that they just shelled out big hunk of dough for [often against the wishes of their spouse or business associates] won’t deliver.

They are afraid of losing face. Of feeling dumb. Of wasting limited resources.

Buyers are MOST afraid of not getting value.

Unfortunately, everyone defines value differently.

Every business owner is painfully aware that the very thing that gives them the freedom and opportunity to run their business from their sofa, is the same thing that offers buyers WAY more opportunities to leave tread marks on your shiny reputation.

Perhaps it’s a cosmic way of keeping things in balance. We wouldn’t want things to be toooo easy for entrepreneurs, would we?

The problem is, behind the safety of a computer screen, people feel all warm and fuzzy about trashing your emoticon. After all, you aren’t actually you… you’re just a few pixels on a screen, right? It becomes so easy to forget that there is a whole person behind that perfect head shot.

So, it’s a problem. We’ve established this.

But what do we do about it?

How do we guard our integrity and reputation, honor our obligations, and help our clients overcome their fears all at the same time?

We model the behavior we want to see in our clients.

We remind ourselves that when we feel the urge to push boundaries, we first ask ourselves why we feel anxious.

We remember that whoever we purchase from has poured their blood, sweat and tears into what we’re buying. They are a human being, just like us.

They are not a website.

They are not a company.

They are not a call center or a customer service department.

Or a product.

Or a service.

They are a person. Just like you and me.

As consumers, we have power. Use it for good.

As a businessperson [weirdest, most confusing term ever, btw], remember that the only way to get the behavior you want from your clients is to tell them what you need and why.

In my experience, most solopreneurs need to be reminded that they are only human just as much as their clients do.

What do think? How do you draw lines in your business?

Related Posts:

• Client Experience Quiz – Part 2: Top 3 Client Experience hiccups & patterns that MANY of you face.
• 40 Tweetable reasons why you should stop looking for a job.
• Pain. And Growing Pains. And Growing Greatness out of it all.

Here’s what I came up with. Offers should:

• Feel like a gift – an elegantly wrapped box full of things that make you reflect and appreciate the giver.
• Feel like a question – something thought-provoking.
• Value the time of the recipient.
• Be beautiful – I’m just so tired of ugly crap, aren’t you? Let’s raise our standards people!

I’m sure this list could be much longer, but simplicity rules when it comes to making rules. Too many rules and you’re setting yourself of to forget a few and end up looking like a tool. No one wants that.

So here’s my snazzy little gift for you.

Steal it. Share it. Print it. Use it as a place mat. It’s all yours, baby. Enjoy. There will be more.

Click the image to open it full-size in a new tab. Resize at will:)

Related Posts:

• Do EVERYTHING. Be great. Screw decisiveness. Change your mind.
• 29 Most important entrepreneurial lessons I learned while getting my MBA
• How to be a good beginner that gets the RIGHT kind of attention from the RIGHT people.

So, how do you follow up after a project is completed?

“Well, they’re on my email list.”

So, the next time they hear from you, after giving you their money, will be when you broadcast something to all?

“Uh, I guess so.”

So how often do you send something to your list that isn’t sales-related?

“……….. uhhhh……why would I do that?”

I think you get the idea…

This list is for them – the awesome professionals that just can’t seem to figure out what they’re doing wrong. Next time you lose a client, this list might help you figure out why.

So, here are the most popular ways you can lose friends and alienate your clients:

1. Ignore them.

It’s really simple. All you have to do is make sure that everything on your to-do list gets jammed firmly between you and responding promptly to your clients’ emails. I totally get it. Analyzing your belly-button lint IS important. So is making sure your cat knows where all his toys are. You are busy. I get it.

For extra credit, you can even try missing a meeting or two.

2. Make a promise or two that you tooootally can’t keep.

This one is way easy. All you have to do is say yes to everything, neglect to use a calendar or to-do list, and be too cheap to hire an assistant. Voila! Broken promises galore. You will FORGET more than you will remember. You’ll have them dropping like flies.

3. Sign up for every single social media site you can find.

Yup. All of em. Go gung-ho for like a month or so and then lose your logins and forget all about them. People we be so annoyed they will start bad mouthing you left and right. Even your most loyal people will start to question your integrity.

4. Lie.

The old standby. Make up as many excuses as you can. Your car got a flat tire with your dog in the backseat who got sick from eating your presentation on the way to the big meeting. So, you had to pull over in a bad neighborhood, go mugged and then amnesia from the trauma. You’re so sorry, but you just can’t remember who your best clients are, or why you have their money.

5. Cheat.

Autotweet. Hire people to pretend they’re you. Use get-rich-quick shortcuts. Remember, even if you lose 25% of people [who think you're douchey]… 75% is still good, right?!?

6. Steal.

Make outlandish claims. Refuse refunds. Pretend you have three left of something that is available electronically. People LOVE false urgency. It makes them feel all twitchy insecure – like they might miss something important.

7. Make a totally worthless product.

Whatever you sell should be over-hyped and you should have a solid plan to under-whelm buyers. If that doesn’t work, try re-hashing other people’s work.

8. Lie some more.

Fabricate a ridiculous story to make yourself look good. When the truth comes out, your former people will run like their hair’s on fire.

Above all, the very most effective thing you can do to blow people off is to completely ignore the golden rule. 

Works every time.

Related Posts:

• Client Experience Quiz – Part 2: Top 3 Client Experience hiccups & patterns that MANY of you face.
• Celebrate client on client love.
• Client Experience Quiz – Part 1: RESULTS! + A snazzy freebie.

October:

Makeness takes a nap.

Here’s why: For several months, I was beginning to sense that my best work was hiding behind the work that was necessary. By that, I mean that I was doing work that my clients really needed, but I was getting burned out. Burn out is generally a sure sign that you haven’t quite hit the nail on the head of you most brilliant and useful work.

So, I took my site down and did some SERIOUS work on teasing out the details of what was working and what wasn’t.

What WAS working: Direct client work. I found that I was at my very best when I was helping clients make their business better.

What WASN’T working: The small-ish start-up-y stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE me some newbies, and Makeness’ offerings were growing a pretty loyal following among the start-up crowd. But here’s the thing: As much as I loved the work, it was wearing me out. I felt off-center and I was beginning to see that my best work was still out there in the ether, waiting for me to find it. 

Bottom line: I let fear kick my ass without even knowing it. Instead of digging in to my best stuff – the scary stuff – the stuff that was risky and brilliant and original and different – the stuff that was uniquely MINE… I hid behind the easy advice I give out like candy bars. The stuff I have done for so long I can’t not do it.

November:

First, I fell down the stairs and severely sprained both of my ankles – one of them even included some ruptured ligaments. Couldn’t even blame it on alcohol. Up one minute, down the next. Smooth, that’s me. Let’s just say that I looked at it as a message in humility and patience. When using the little girls room on your own feels like a luxury, your perspective on how people like to be cared for comes into crystal-clear focus.

Next, I was hired by a brilliant visionary entrepreneur to do some really light work on a smallish product launch. Nothing major… just some i-dotting and t-crossing to make sure everything came together the way it was supposed to. Details were not her thing, so I was just supposed to make sure nothing got missed.

Strange thing happened, though. There were A LOT more details than originally planned for (the plan happened before I came on-board… not something I recommend doing) and there were a LOT more moving parts than any of the team anticipated. That meant WAY more i’s and way more t’s – and that meant a much bigger job for me.

In this ever-growing project, I learned something extremely important. I learned that my best work is in helping successful visionaries get their best work off of the proverbial back-burner and out to the world where it belongs. 

December:

So, what did I learn from a project that’s scope out-stripped the project’s plan? We should have had a better plan.

And plans are something I am WAY good at.

What we realized was that the very best client experience is born from the very best plan. Visionaries so often get caught up in the project itself, and the experience of the end-user gets muddled or even lost. 

Now:

So what does all that mean?

1. It means a whole new business structure, vision, and mission – and a whole new conversation (and website) for Makeness. Pretty, huh?

2. It means that we are going to be talking about some totally different things than we have talked about before. The direction of the blog will be a laser-focused, multi-dimensional conversation about how to provide the very best experience to your followers and clients each and every time you connect with them. 

3. It means that some of you may not feel as connected to Makeness as you once were. This is your formal invitation to come along with me as my vision for Makeness gets bigger, better, and more top-tier. I hope you decide to join us.

4. It means I will be blogging less and doing more. Right now, I am toying with some big ideas, and big ideas need time and attention. My pledge to you is to be fluff-free. If it’s taking up space in your inbox, it better be worth it, right?

5. It means more voices. If you have something to say about client experience or project design, I want to hear from you. Because calls like this stimulate a LOT of responses, please include at least one concept and relevant links to your online presence. Remember, we are thinking big people – we are not looking for re-hashed customer service topics.

Some areas I am particularly interested in right now:

• Tools that help you be a better service provider
• Innovative ways to make your clients feel special and valued
• Bringing brick-and-mortar service standards to the online world
• How to effectively use mind-mapping and/or project planning software
• Project case studies

But don’t let this list limit you. We are open to ideas right now, and would looooove to have you join in as we build something new. To submit a concept, email me directly at: illana [at] makeness.com

6. It means that Makeness has all kinds of fun stuff on the horizon. The first of which is a quiz to help you evaluate how your client experience stacks up. It’s free and takes just a few minutes to complete.

7. It means we are offering a whole new set of services. Wanna know more?

Right this second:

It means it’s great to be back in the saddle. I missed you.

Related Posts:

• Client Experience Quiz – Part 2: Top 3 Client Experience hiccups & patterns that MANY of you face.
• Humanity vs. Professionalism – Why it’s so easy to forget that there are real people behind all the blogging and tweeting and posting.
• Do EVERYTHING. Be great. Screw decisiveness. Change your mind.

Then they say, “Pick a major.”

Then it’s,”Pick a career path.”

Followed by, “Pick a job.”

Pick Pick Pick.

Choose Choose Choose.

Option A or Option B?

Paper or Plastic?

Fries or No Fries?

Our world is set up to pigeon-hole us. Everyone feels better when they know which slot to put you in in their mind. As a business owner, we hear, “Niche-ify.” “Find your ONE area of expertise.” Focus on the ONE thing you’re great at.”

But here’s the thing: Are any of us really only great at ONE thing?

I know I’m not.

I’m great at all kinds of things, good at a bunch, and I’m passionate about even more. 

I spent years trying to make a decision about how to focus on one thing. The problem was, I always felt like, by deciding on one thing, it meant I could no longer pursue all the other things.

So I got paralyzed.

For a LONG time.

I was totally stunted by indecision.

Then one day I woke up and realized that paralysis didn’t suit me.

Instead of doing one thing, I would just do everything.

That was when my world changed.

That was when I realized that everything was better than nothing.

That was when I stopped deciding and started searching for a way in:

to the life I wanted.

to the business I had dreamed of.

to the possibilities that I knew were out there.

I finally ‘got’ Twitter.

I finally understood the internet and what it makes possible – not just for me, but for everyone. 

I finally stopped defining myself as being too cynical and smart to bother with anything everyone else thinks is interesting.

I got out of my own way.

I would do it all.

But doing it all is way harder than it sounds. It requires WAY more discipline than I ever thought I was capable of, but I was determined.

So I went on a bit of a voyage. I searched. I learned. I discovered systems and tools and magical secrets {Yup. Fairy dust IS required. Pointy hat is optional.} to help me focus so that I could seamlessly hop from art to business to consulting to travel to playtime to partnership to teacher to designer to whatever-else-I-decided-to-be.

I gave myself permission to be everything I had ever wanted to be. I was going to do it everything.

I have never looked back.

Today, I do what I want and I do it well. When I start something new, I make a choice:

Love it. Learn It. Or pay someone else to do it.

I hold a general belief that if it can be done, I can do it {I’m often wrong on that, by the way, but I don’t let that slow me down}.

For example, when I started Makeness I did my own web design because I wanted to learn it. For a long time, I reeeealy sucked at it. But then it got better… and better… and better. Turns out, now I love it. And I’m told I’m pretty good at it. Beyond that, it’s now a fabulous little income stream. I take projects when I want to flex my graphics muscles, and do other stuff when I don’t.

So now I’m ready to share.

I want to teach other people what I know so that you can blossom into the multi-faceted bad ass you were always meant to be.

Last week, I gave you a little teaser about the new course that I will be offering soon called The Focus Maker. The people on the list have already gotten some kick-ass free pre-work.

Below, you’ll find a final sign-up sheet to be the first notified when the shopping cart opens. This will be your last opportunity to get in on the early goodies and the after-party bonuses that will be available ONLY to those that are on the pre-release list. The after-party bonuses will include some one-on-one time with me, so the pre-list has very limited space. As of writing this there are eleven {Update: 10/7/11} spots left. I will take the signup form down as soon as they fill up.

If you are reading this in your inbox, click here for the form.

If you would like to be reading future emails in your inbox, subscribe for Makeness Mail HERE.

Or if you are just dying to be one of the eleven three, fill out the form below:

Related Posts:

• Using launch powers for good {a sort-of case study}.
• 40 Tweetable reasons why you should stop looking for a job.
• Pain. And Growing Pains. And Growing Greatness out of it all.

There, I said it.

I hate saying it.

I hate admitting that I have limitations because we all have limitations, and I never want to presume that mine are any worse than anyone else’s.

But here’s the thing: People want to know how I do what I do. And the fact is, I have spent nearly ten years working with limitations, and finding ways to make my life and business thrive in spite of {or because of} them.

And that has value.

Big time.

The truth is, I reallllly wish someone would have given me some pointers early on when I first realized that I had to start packing a full-time life into a half-time schedule.

The fact of the matter is that we all do this to some degree. We are all trying to pack too much stuff into too little time. I just don’t have a choice about it.

So today, I want to talk about focus.

Without focus, I wouldn’t be here right now.

I mean it. I would not have been able to get my business to the place it is right now, if it wasn’t for my ability to crystallize EXACTLY what I need to do and when, so that I am always prepared with tasks that meet me wherever I am, whether it be a day that all I can manage is research, or a day when I feel really good, and am ready to produce the fabulous content that you know and love.

I used to talk a lot about what it’s like to be broke with a dream. Because that’s really where I was. Broke with a dream.

Or so I thought.

What I actually was, was BROKEN with a dream. I felt broken. I felt weak. I felt scared. And I wrote to you from that place. Together, we commiserated about how under-served we were, and how we just needed a boost to get us off the ground. But then, something interesting happened…

I got a boost.

But not from a ‘someone’, but from many someones.

From you.

Your support – cheering me on – commenting, buying, emailing, tweeting, loving – made me feel way less broken.

You made me feel like packing a full-time life into a half-time schedule was not only possible, but worth it.

And you know what?

I don’t feel broke, or broken anymore.

And I know you don’t either.

Because if you were broke, you  couldn’t afford the gifts you’ve given me.

If you were broken, you wouldn’t have the strength the go after your dreams the way you are RIGHT now.

You are not broke. 

You are a wealth of power and possibility.

You are not broken.

You are spilling over with wholeness and light that inspires me and gives the people that love you the strength to push forward.

You may have noticed that the tone here at Makeness is shifting.

I am shifting, and I want to invite you to come with me.

I am inviting you to create the brilliant business dream that is burning inside you.

It’s there.

I know it.

And I am committing the next year of my business to drawing it out of you – giving you the tools you will need to make it glow – and helping you make sure every step you take is onto focused, solid ground, so you don’t waste another minute feeling broken.

Who’s with me?

In the comments, tell me why you are NOT broke. Let’s talk about abundance, people!

Take stock! What resources do you have RIGHT NOW that you are dismissing? Who’s got your back? What keeps you afloat on the rough days? Share. I dare you.

“The Possible’s slow fuse is lit
By the Imagination.”
~Emily Dickinson

Oh, and PS: If you haven’t subscribed to Makeness yet, now’s the time. You won’t want to miss what’s coming out next and subscribers will be getting a special discount-y-bonus-y-type thing beforehand. CLICK HERE to make sure you’re on the list.

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This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be, if you don’t get comfortable – I mean like livin’ in a Snuggie with a hot chocolate comfortable – with constant change. Constant change.

As passionate, heart-centered entrepreneurs, we work really, really hard on ever single little detail of our business. We agonize over how to sell, what to sell, when to sell, what to say, what our branding looks like… the details never seem to end.

But opening a business on the Internet isn’t like opening (and owning) a store. When you open a store, you design the interior, you paint the walls, you get a nice sign, and you open a business. Other than your inventory, most of the framework stays the same for long stretches of time. Your selling periods are fairly predictable, and your customers enjoy and appreciate the comforts of a little predictability.

The Internet, however, is a whole different tamale.

When you open a business on the Internet, it’s like buying a brand new car; as soon as you drive it off the lot, it’s outdated already, and is worth less than it was brand new.

So, as Internet entrepreneurs, that means that right when we finally feel like everything is coming together, we are faced with a decision:

Change everything you have worked SO hard to complete – or die.

And to make it even more difficult, this isn’t an every-six-months decision, this is closer to an every-six-days (or minutes) decision.

On the Internet, time is condensed. Attention spans are like stupid-short. If you don’t have something fresh to offer at all times, people will look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, we love our businesses. We are attached to all  of those decisions we made. They were damn hard to make, after all, right?!?

This is not a big solution post. This is a discussion post.

Let’s discuss this in the comments. Pass this along to friend, bring a few of your people to the conversation.

Change is hard. Let’s figure out the best strategies to handle it together.

How do we let go of those things – sometimes as soon as they are complete – so that you can move on to what’s next?

How do you get comfortable with change?

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