Shera R. Sever: Igniting the Spark™

Preparing for 2020! Let’s start with your Mindset!

Shera — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 06:16:19 +0000

We’re entering a new decade (again)!? and by the miracle and mystery of life, you and I are still here! Regardless of your personal philosophies, change is in the air, and it’s calling for a major upleveling of whatever game you play best! So let ‘s start with the basics

Mindset

How do you talk to yourself? Use positive affirmations, strong declarations and I am statements? Do this everyday for 21 days and watch how good you feel ! Apply this to your business, projects and colleague relationships and get ready to be wowed!

Expand what you believe is possible for yourself- take some time now to write down what you are intending for 2020 and don’t hold back. Excavate those BIG dreams, and write them down now as if they are already happening. Where are you? Who are you with? What ‘s the environment? Smells, sensations, temperature, colors. Don’t hold back.

Focus on the current moment more than the past or the future. The best way to do this is by focusing on what you are grateful for everyday including this very moment

Values

Identify your top values. How do they drive your behavior, decisions, activities, and time management?

Commit to activities, experiences, and people that reflect your values.

Keep your values written in a visible place so you are reminded of them often

Vision

Write down your vision for the future and what you would like to achieve (see mindset)

Work with a coach on goals and action steps that help you align with your vision

Create a vision board so that often so you are reminded of your vision, goals and intentions

How you do anything is how you do everything. Examine your habits. Do they align with your values and vision?

Develop a morning routine that nourishes your mind, body, and soul. This could be a good workout, a run, a yoga class, meditation or journaling.

Set intentions for the day, say them out loud, and watch how much easiest it is to keep showing up!

Plans, Actions, Priorities

Plan action steps that align with your goals. Map out your daily and weekly workflow. Make adjustments as needed by setting realistic goals. Be sure you have a good support team in place.

Make choices that align with your values and priorities. Take time to drop into inner guide when making decisions

Discipline

Hold yourself accountable to your intentions

When you find yourself engaging in distractions or procrastination, ask yourself, what do you really need? Perhaps a walk, a stretch break, or a quick check in with a coach or mentor? Take a deep breath, review your intentions for the day, take a deep Keep your eye on the prize!

Be sure to set good boundaries with people you care about and with those who may need reminders of your values, intentions and how you are use your time and energy

And finally, take some time this month, to clear what no longer serves you. Use December as a month for clearing and energy re-sets and re-vibes, think of what no longer serves you, or the expectations you can release of those who cannot meet them, or the relationship stories you have been using as a shield to protect yourself from moving beyond your painful memories.

Action Step:

Review the list above and make note of the things you want to work on. Revisit your notes often as a reminder to be more intentional with what you do on a daily basis.

I am offering complimentary Uplevel Sessions this month only. Book yours today!

2019: Dream Big!

Shera — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 07:49:04 +0000

Don’t just plan for what you want; Plan for what’s ideal;

Don’t just imagine better, imagine paradise;

Don’t just dream of happiness; Dream of ecstasy.

Happy New Year! 2019 is really here!

I wanted to share a few exercises with you that I have always found helpful as we start a new year.

Before we venture out into new territory, it’s important to honor where we’ve come from!

What achievements are you most proud of in 2018?

One way to do this is to take a look back in 2018 and look at each month, your cycles, challenges, accomplishments

What were the greatest achievements? ( I started an online graduate program in Cognitive Science with a focus in OnLine Learning)

What was your greatest soul lesson from 2018 that you will bring into the new year? I had multiple lessons: Trust, Surrender, Love Thyself.

What’s your one word/theme for 2019? Authentic Presence is Power

Here’s another exercise that I have found very helpful:

Put yourself in a relaxed, meditative state. Your breathing is deep, you are feeling at peace. Playing some music at 963, 852 or 639 hz can assist with this greatly. (Barry Goldstein, Steven Halpern, Jacques Chollet, HemiSync and more.)

Now imagine it’s December 31 , 2019. You are with a few close friends sharing what an amazing year, 2019 was for you. What happened ? When? Where? What were the highlights of 2019? How did you feel? Who was with you? Really drop into this journey for at least 5 -10 minutes. Finally when ready, pull out your journal and write about your 2019.

I have some exciting new programs I will be birthing this year: Empowered Self, Authentic Leader. Stay tuned.

Wishing you an AMAZING NEW YEAR! As always, be the change you Wish to See!

Why are you here? That’s the ultimate question that you get to answer with every action, thought and feeling. ~ Oprah

Brand Personality and USP – What’s the Difference?

Shera — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 19:24:24 +0000

It’s very rare to be lucky enough to have a business in an industry that isn’t crowded with competition.

Whether you sell something or provide a service, you have competing companies and brands who want the same business you do, and everyone is constantly seeking to secure that business.

A great way to make sure you stand out is by showcasing the ideas and values that make your brand unique.

These differentiators that dictate brand identity and value are easy to spot for many businesses. You really only have to look at what drew you into their business to identify their unique selling position that drives their brand.

What sets you apart? Your customer service? The value you provide in your content? Or is it how comfortable you make people feel in stressful situations by helping them with solutions?

Your customer value is your USP (Unique Selling Position).

Promote what makes you unique

The more unique you are the more likely you will stand out to potential clients.

Let your personality shine through so everyone knows what you’re about. In saying that you should also keep in mind that your accomplishments should be worn on your sleeve. Never shy away from telling people about what you’ve accomplished in the past.

This doesn’t mean telling people that you think you’re great or what you think you’re great at; tell them whyyou feel that way and what you’ve done that has instilled confidence in you in your skill set or product.

Use key terms like ‘I accomplished’, ‘I generated’, ‘I completed’ and follow up with something genuine that you’ve done that makes you confident in yourself.

When looking at how to stand out from the crowd and draw in customers and clients, assess what you see as the core value you provide.

It could be something as simple as longer hours or a higher quality track record. Approach the idea of establishing your brand by trying to sell what you do to yourself. If you can’t think of any reason someone would hire you over someone else, then you’ll need to do a little research.

Your business wouldn’t be a success at all if you didn’t have something unique about it.

Try mapping your customer experience. Write up what happens at each step and examine what the client is doing vs. what they’d be doing had they opted for your competitors.

Within that analysis, you are likely to identify points where you’re providing something the others aren’t. That USP is what you’ll use to differentiate your brand.

Here’s a quick example:

Amanda B. is a health coach. She helps mature women with hormonal imbalance and weight loss, and advertises her success rate.
Heather S. is also a relationship coach. She also helps mature women with hormonal imbalance and weight loss, but she also provides recipes, exercise routines, and daily mind training to help her clients create a happier and healthier lifestyle.

Amanda B. would define her brand position and USP as being the health coach that helps you lose weight.
Heather S. would define her brand position and USP as being a healthy coach that helps you lose weight and create lifestyle changes to stay happy and healthy.

How easy is it for you to identify your USP and then apply it to your brand.

FedEx is an often talked about example because their USP is overnight shipping guaranteed. Their tag line is ‘When it absolutely, positively, had to be there overnight.

Work your USP into your brand identity to a point that no one will have to ask you why they should choose you.

This could also be accomplished by assessing your competition.

Look for Pain Points in your competitor’s customer experience. By reading their reviews you’ll be able to see what put past clients off and what could be preventing future clients from choosing your competitor.

If you see 1 star reviews and there are consistent messages that your competitor is rude to clients your USP could be your 5 star track record and friendly personality. If that sounds like you then you know what to do and wear that USP like a brand badge, so everyone knows if they deal with you they won’t experience any rude behaviour.

This should be a fun exercise and if you get it right you’ll see the results.

Whatever brand ideas you can come up with are worth exploring if they really embody what you provide that makes you different. Your values and your service should all be the building blocks, so your brand stands out based on what you do best.

If you’re having any issues with your USP, tag lines, web content and value marketing, please get in touch . I have helped many small businesses get to the core of who they are, what they offer, find the voice to share it, in order to reach their target market with great success.

Edited from article posted in EvisionMedia

What’s Your Sentence?

Shera — Wed, 04 Jul 2018 21:39:11 +0000

It’s mid-year and always a good time to revisit goals, intentions, daily habits and patterns. Are you on track? Is it time for recalibration? The other evening while reviewing some of Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday Interviews, I came across her interview with Daniel Pink.

Daniel Pink, in his bestseller DRIVE, tells a story about Clare Booth Luce, who was a writer and one of the first woman to serve in the US Congress. In 1962 she had a meeting with JFK. At the time, JFK was doing a thousand things at home and abroad, and Luce was concerned that his presidency was becoming muddled paragraph.

She told him: “A great man is one sentence.”

Like President Lincoln: “He preserved the union and freed the slaves.”

Like FDR: “He lifted us out of a great depression and helped us win a world war.”

So the question she posed to JFK was this: What was to be his sentence?

This one question is a great exercise for focus, clarity, and commitment. To find your true motivation, ask yourself, what’s my sentence? And use it to navigate your life.

But wait , there’s more. . . .

There is a second question that supports your sentence. To stay in alignment with your sentence, before you go to bed tonight, ask yourself the second question:

“Was I better today, than yesterday.” If the answer is no, wake up with a better resolve to live your one sentence.

My sentence is: I teach people how to communicate clearly, congruently, compassionately and courageously within a container of curiosity

What is your one sentence? Could you please share it below?

Starting a New Chapter!

Shera — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 02:58:24 +0000

It’s summer solstice week here in the Northern Hemisphere- the time when the sun is at its highest and brightest in the sky.

This is a time to pause and celebrate fruition, success, abundance and pleasure, while staying mindful of the ever changing ebb and flow. And it’s time to turn the page. New season, new chapter.

Many of us are surrounded with big shifts, change and uncertainty in many areas of our lives these days. I find using Gratitude as the guiding Attitude, Intuition as my Decision Making guide, and Mindful Speech as my guide for Manifestation, to be effective tools that I can access at any given moment.

How do you navigate the on-going radical changes of these times in your personal and professional lives?

If you are at a crossroads, feeling a bit stuck, or needing to recalibrate your compass, I invite you to take a look my Summer Realignment Program by registering for a complimentary session with me before July 15. I have space for a few new clients this summer.

Please continue to let your voices, values and truths be heard in these times of the Great Turning. Wishing you all an Abundant Summer!

PS: I’m completing a vision quest of sorts that started late 2017, and I am starting a new chapter. Would you be willing to share my website? Who do you know that may be seeking rock star assistance in growing and managing their purpose- driven business? I partner with mission-driven mid-market businesses and non-profit organizations who are seeking on-going support with:

Strategic Planning: Leadership Facilitation
Course Development & Promotion
Marketing Content, Copywriting, Word Alchemy
Consultative Sales & Customer Education
Systems and Operations Management
Rock Star Hiring & Training

Staying Aligned in Uncertain Times

Shera — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 19:06:00 +0000

Let’s face it. We are living in unprecedented times. The velocity of change, the demands of technology are pulling all of us our of our comfort zone. And that is where the magic happens.

I am reposting this from December 2013. These practices are for anybody committed to stepping into playing full out. Leadership starts with your personal practices and daily habits.

Shera’s Formula for Staying Aligned in Uncertain Times:

(you can focus on one of these per month, until it becomes a newly formed habit)

1. Drink lots of water- and first thing in the morning ~ add fresh lemon

**2. Keep your diet as akaline as possible- (that means limit/eliminate: meat, coffee, alcohol, sugar). Eat live, organic foods. Invest in Superfoods. Check out healthforcenutritionals.com**

3. Maintain a daily practice: yoga, meditation, and movement-a 30-minute brisk walk in the morning has much more immediate benefits than years of therapy

4. Facilitate and Engage in Essential Dialogs. Join a women’s or men ‘s circle . True authenticity comes from uncompromised honesty while being witnessed in supportive containers.

5. Be curious and inclusive. Expand your sense of what community is or could be. Take time to look in someone’s eyes ..find out who and how they really are- move beyond “Great” or “I’m fine”. Remember our most fundamental spiritual need as human beings is the desire for authentic mutual recognition.

6. Perform what I call the “karmic root canals” often. Get to the absolute core of any limiting belief that is not the Truth of Who you Are. Use Access Consciousness, EFT, Heartmath, and all other tools you have available to you.

7. Practice Kindness, Be Vulnerable, Share Compassion- Steer Clear of Judgments, Criticism, & Gossip.

8. Actively listen twice as much as you speak. Ask yourself, “How can I serve this person?

9. Forgive yourself and others often.

10. Give stuff away! Share a lot, especially your heart. (Check out Elegant Organization at http://www.bayareaorganizingsolutions.com.

11. Affirm feelings of gratitude everyday.

12. Breathe in Love . . .Breathe out Fear. Smile Inside. You’ll feel better.

Why Headlines Matter- SEO for Everyone

Shera — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 20:24:32 +0000

I love writing and I love digital. Helping my clients create the right message for their audience that resonates with their organizational culture, leadership and core essence, while increasing traffic to their website, and attracting hundreds of new clients is what makes my heart sing.

If you are like most professionals in business today, you are posting messages on social media sites and writing blog posts to share information, peak curiosity, and increase customer education and engagement, exponentially.

Connecting with Customers: One Headline at a Time

The right headline can make or break your blog post. Often, it’s the only thing a reader sees before deciding whether or not to keep reading. And, worse, it’s mixed in with a whole bunch of other headlines – in their social news feed.

You need to grab their attention, obviously — but that isn’t enough. You need a headline that not only compels someone to read on, but one that sets their expectations for the post. And, ideally, you want a headline that gives you a ready-made (and powerful) structure for your post.

Here are 50 tried-and-tested headlines that you can use on your blog today. I’ve given you an example of each one in use, so you can see how it works.

How to Use This List

First, bookmark this page, clip it to Evernote, or print it out and keep it on your desk: you want to have it handy.

You can use it for:

Writing post plans or drafts: Find whichever section matches the type of post you’re working on, and see if there’s a template that would be a great fit.
Coming up with new ideas: Choose a title template, brainstorm a few ideas, and pick one to work on. Many of the templates have an implicit structure (e.g. lists, tutorials) – this can really help you plan.
Optimizing old posts: Go back through your archives and pick out any posts with titles that seem dull or confusing. Use this list to freshen them up.

Here are the title templates:

Post Type #1: List-Style Posts

A list post title normally begins with a number. You’ve probably seen plenty of them around the web: “20 Easy Ways to…” or “50 Can’t-Miss Tips for…”

Here are eight ways to take the list post further:

X-Point Checklist for…
X Better Ways to…
X Lessons I Learned From…
X Tools That Every [person] Needs
X [adjective] Tips And Tricks to [do something]
X [things] You Won’t Believe [Exist / Are Free / etc]
X Reasons Why [Something] is a Bad Idea
X Must-Have …

Post Type #2: Tutorial Posts

Tutorials often follow a “How to…” format, with step by step instructions. It’s hard to go wrong with a “how to” headline – but you can jazz it up a little and make it even more of a draw for readers.

Get started with one of these:

How I …
How I … and How You Can Too
How to Make…
How to Start…
How to Stop…
Here’s a Quick Way to…
How to … Without…
How to … The Right Way
How to Get Rid Of …
What Is … and How Does …
X Steps to …
[Something Happened] … Now What?

Post Type #3: Review Posts

Product reviews can be good for search engine traffic, as people debating over whether or not to buy something – or trying to choose between several competing products – will often search for reviews.

Here are some headlines to try:

[product] Review: [benefit]
[benefit]: A Review of [product]
X vs Y: Which is Better?
X Review: Is it Worth It?
Why We Use X

Post Type #4: Secret Posts

We all like the idea of finding out some secret knowledge – and we all worry that we’re missing something. These headlines, then, can be incredibly powerful.

They’re also possible to over-use or do badly. Make sure your post lives up to the promise you make in the headline, or readers won’t be coming back.

Forget X: Try This Instead
The Secret [To/Of] …
X Little Known-Ways to …
X Things You Didn’t Know About…
The Most Over-Rated [topic]
The Truth About …
[Topic] [People] Don’t Want You To Know
What No One Tells You About …
X Things [People/Businesses] Won’t Tell You
Surprising Insights About …

Post Type #5: Negative Posts

Most bloggers write fairly positive or neutral headlines (“Ten Great Ways to…”). Going for the negative side of things can grab a busy reader’s attention – and make for a compelling post. These headlines can also allow you to position yourself as a bit of a contrarian, someone giving readers the other side of the story.

Try some of these:

Warning: …
Why You’re [Doing Something Wrong] … and What to Do About It
Are You Making This [adjective] Mistake?
X Hard Ways to…
[Piece of Advice] That Doesn’t Always Apply
Why [group of things] Fail
X [Something] Mistakes That Every [BLANK] Should Avoid …

Post Type #6: Epic Posts

Huge posts that offer the final word on a particular topic or subject can be really popular: you may get lots of shares, and even a bunch of links from other blogs. Make sure you give your post the best possible chance with a compelling headline.

Here are some classic ones to use:

The Ultimate Guide to…
How to … : The Definitive Guide
Everything You Need to Know About…
We Asked X [People] [Question]
100 Ways To… (or 100 Tips, 100 Things to Do…)
The Complete Guide to [Something]
[Topic] Glossary
[topic]: X Resources

While there’s a lot more to a great blog post than a great headline, the right headline can be the final touch needed to get your content shared all over the web.

Or, even better, if you start off by picking a headline from the list above, you’ll find it’s a great way to generate ideas – just fill in the blanks. Many of these headlines offer a built-in structure, too, making your post easy to write.

This post originally appeared on SyedBalkhi.com, and is re-published with permission.

Living in the Present: Wisdom 2.0 2015

Shera — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 23:14:18 +0000

Founded by Soren Gordhamer, Wisdom 2.0 addresses one of the greatest challenges of business leaders today: how to maintain human, compassionate connections while navigating the velocity of the information age in ways that are beneficial to our own well-being, our communities, our workplaces and the world at large?

Indicative of the Renaissance we are all experiencing, Wisdom 2.0 is a very well-planned conference offering keynote speakers, breakout sessions, sprinkled with yoga and meditation breaks and an Inspiration Village featuring products and services that support mindful leadership, compassion, and wisdom in business and beyond. What makes the conference a success are the attendees, the conversations, and the realization that business as usual has become quite unusual. People matter, Conversations matter, You Matter!

Wisdom 2.0 is much more than a 21st century leadership, business and technology conference. It’s consciousness evolutionary movement that gives voice to what many of us have been longing for in our professional lives. What’s possible when we bring mindfulness into living purposeful lives, becoming the heart of humanity, and creating a transformation in the workplace that positively impacts our communities? I’m sharing below a few of the presentations that had the most impact on me. I welcome your comments and thoughts below.

What’s Love Got to Do with It, Konda Mason, Hub Impact Oakland, Executive Director

“Oakland’s export is The Collective Consciousness of Equity & Social Justice”

Telling a Different Story: Brandon Stanton

“10,000 conversations with strangers that moved from fear to intimacy and trust. I’m looking for the story that is unique to YOU. ”

Compassion as the Radicalism of Our Times, Roshi, Joan Halifax

“Compassion is a sane, healthy, collaborative radical necessity. It’s not religious business. It is human business. It is essential for human survival and the survival of all species. I want you to disrupt complacency, and engage compassion. Vow now to Act.

Mindfulness in Business, Chade Meng Tan, Google Jolly Good Fellow

“Wise and Compassionate Leaders Create the Conditions for World Peace.

Lessons in Conscious Business: Jeff Weiner, Fred Kofman, Soren Gordhamer

Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. It’s a sense of purpose that unifies our organization.

There are more powerful, inspirational messages from Bryon Katie, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield, Eileen Fisher and many others at Wisdom 2.0 2015.

You can view them here.

Redefining Business Success in 2015

Shera — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 22:16:30 +0000

In our “business as usual” world, what does it mean to be successful? The critical question could be more like “What definition of success is personally meaningful to me?” As any of us engage in this inquiry, we may ask ourselves to clarify what we need and want, and how that equates to our definition of success.

Arianna Huffington has started an entire movement based on this inquiry with the overriding premise that in these times, success is not about money and power but about something much greater: qualities of life, contribution, service and inner peace.

To assist with this evolving inquiry and the recalibration of business success, focus, and purpose, here are a few questions I share with clients (and often ask myself) when it’s time to refresh and adjust the compass:

what has heart and meaning, and contributes to my happiness?
what utilizes my knowledge and skills, and continues to expand my learning?
what supports my economic self-sufficiency and thriving, and that of my loved ones, my community & the local economy?
what legacy and impact do I want my business to contribute to locally, regionally, or in expanded networks?
how can I create a personal 3P bottom line: People, Planet, Prosperity?

I really resonate with the work of Charles Eisenstein and his work with Sacred Economics which traces the history of money from ancient gift economies to modern capitalism, revealing how the money system has contributed to alienation, competition, and scarcity, dilapidated communities, and necessitated endless growth. Yet, in the wake of this collapse, we may find great opportunity to transition to a more connected, ecological, and sustainable way of being.

Today we are in the business of creating a miracle here on Earth.

Enrich your life in 2015

Shera — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 02:07:17 +0000