Embrace your flaws as a marketing strategy? Yes, that’s what I said.

If you feel confused by social media, or get overwhelmed by your business tasks, or maybe yearn for the good ‘ol days when people wrote letters and didn’t know what a crackberry was, then here’s a thought – you aren’t the only one. And, if you’re not the only one, there’s probably a market that needs your help dealing with that very same struggle.

When you identify a flaw in yourself – maybe you see it as a barrier or maybe an old fashioned badge of honor for how things “should” be done – then remember that there are others out there like you. Use the feelings you have to dig deeper into the emotional triggers of your potential clients. Use the coping tools and solutions you find as an example for others. Use your viewpoint, even if you feel it’s something you need to shift, as a starting point for better understanding the needs and work flow of your customer.

Process is everything. By fully embracing your own growth and discovery process and sharing the results (and yes, the struggles and failures) through your online persona, you allow people a bird’s eye look into how you think. Demonstrating your values, becoming one of us instead of a stand offish always right guru allows for others to fall in love with what you do. And, they will even fall in love with those flaws.

Go on, now….go give yourself and all your beautifully imperfect flaws a big, juicy hug. If that feels silly or someone sees you with a funny look on your face, just tell them you’re tweeting. They’ll leave you alone!

Today I woke up excited that I was getting new toilets installed. Our 24 year old toilets finally gave up and the city has a cool program to give you new low-flow ones for free. Great, right?

A few hours have passed now, and I do have new toilets, which work like a charm. We also have a hole in the yard where the septic tank had to be uncovered and pumped out with the promise of a potential major system repair looming. Ouch.

Hmmm…..what does this have to do with being a woman entrepreneur?

Well, first off, stuff happens. I feel fortunate that my partner and I have some cash reserves to handle what comes up. If you don’t, you might want to start to build towards having some flex in your budget. Some problems can’t really be put off. Imagine your life without plumbing…not a pretty picture.

Secondly, even when you put in new bells and whistles (the toilets), you still have to deal with the major underlying systems involved. Systems are the lifeblood of a successful entrepreneur. It’s how you’re going to build your business, sustain your business, and have a life outside of your business. (If the show stops running when you take time off, that could lead to trouble. If that time off is because of a major illness, rather than the more whimsical jaunt to Italy, then you can run into some real problems.) Get your systems in order and you’ll be much better off.

Lastly, you have to have a sense of humor and let it go. Being able to calmly (and dare I say joyously?) weather the ups and downs of Life is good for your health, creativity, and relationships, all of which you need in full working order to attract the success you deserve.

I love my new toilets and I am hopeful that any other repairs will be minimal. Regardless, I am most grateful that I have developed a point of view that lets me bend with the breeze. So, what about you—how do you deal with the challenges of Life? I’d love to hear your story.

Vicki Flaugher

p.s. I almost forgot to say-don’t forget the power of delegating. I am definitely glad I was not the one who had to stand knee deep in mud and…uh, stuff…to get this problem under control.