When I examine employment vs. entrepreneurship, I actually have to admit some real advantages of corporate employment. I feel, especially in these economic times, that it’s a question worth examining for every entrepreneur who is feeling ready for a change.

I have been working for myself for about 10 years. There are many interesting and challenging aspects to it. I have loved it most of the time, but other times, not so much. Frankly, it can be an unrewarding struggle, lonely, and just plain tough. As much as I value the upside (the freedom, the flexible schedule, etc.) I am grown up enough to recognize the other side too.

Even though I left the corporate world when they told me 60 hrs a week was “lazy”, I know that not all employment (dare I say, most) is abusive like that. When I reflect on my own experiences, I can recall many years of bliss. I remember the supportive team environment, the mega pile of available resources to do the work, and the glee of going home after a hard day’s work. I confess that I miss it. To me, after years of working for myself, working at a corporate job sounds like a vacation – a welcome and exciting one.

So, I guess, this is my quiet public announcement. I am officially on the job market. My decade of marketing skills, my management experience, my BBA-Finance educational backbone, and my social media skills are up for grabs. If you know someone who needs someone like me, you can let them check out my resume here: http://bit.ly/83DMlH

In closing, I have always said that being an entrepreneur is something I am, not what I do. I will carry my entrepreneurial spirit with me wherever I go. Innovation, clever problem solving, the ability to make decisions quickly, and the chutzpah that comes with wearing many hats (and living to tell about it) is what I am made of. I embrace this change and will keep you in the loop on how it all goes. Viva la Difference!

If you listen to much of advertising, email marketing, and such (all things I completely believe in as effective marketing tools), you might notice that the underlying assumptions include scarcity, violence, competition, and fear. If you don’t “act now” you’ll lose – limited time offers, only an idiot would do nothing, if you don’t do this you will be beaten, use this software to annihilate your competition, install this plug in to keep you “safe”, etc. Many put countdown clocks and send emails with screaming ALL CAPS subject lines with urgent pleas for your money since your very existence as a entrepreneur is in peril. Hurry!! You’re in danger! Buy now or ELSE!

I find it all a bit tiring. If you ask these marketers why they do it, they inevitably say either “it works” or “it’s how it’s done.” Is that really a good enough reason? Can’t we move into this new decade with innovative tools and new approaches? Can we learn to sell without fear? What do you think?

I am doing all I can to find my own tendencies to include a scarcity and fear mentality in my approach and I’m tossing it. Want to join me? We could start a movement…

I have lived through a verbally abusive marriage. I tolerated my husband’s caustic words because I thought I was supposed to accept, tolerate, and endure. My self esteem was very low. I thought I was just supposed to tough it out, turn the other cheek, and ignore the insults. I turned off my emotions and slogged through, doing the best I could to put on a happy face and not stick out too much.

At a certain point, it was all just too much. I had a moment of epiphany that changed everything. And, I got out. It was a long, painful process, but I got out. You can listen here to me describing that epiphany moment if you wish:

Now, I have healed enough to accept my own role in the situation and to make better choices going forward. I don’t blame anyone else. But, as someone who has felt the sting of this issue, I now see examples of it everywhere. And, I am committed to awareness.

Let’s think about the places verbal abuse exists now – why do we allow the media to casually banter about the words stupid, idiot and Nazi? Why do we tell young boys to toughen up and learn to fight back to the bully on the playground? Why do we think that a boss yelling at us is just part of the job? Why do we stifle our dreams because we are told we’re crazy, an unrealistic dreamer, or worse too screwed up to ever follow through on something that important because we’ve never done anything right before.

We tend to look past these every day examples, explaining it as “how it is”. I have seen both sides of this and I can tell you, it’s not how it is. It’s how we choose it to be. We all have the power to begin to ratchet down the histrionics and choose differently – choose more kindly. When we accept our role in pervasive verbal abuse, we can begin to shift away from it. The massive amounts of energy being used to defend and protect ourselves begins to become available for creativity and fun. The change starts with us.

So, next time you write an email subject line like “You’d be crazy not to take this offer” or you decide that fear based marketing “Do it now or you’ll always be a loser” is the best approach, I am asking you to reconsider your technique. The next time you call someone a moron because they don’t agree with your political position, check yourself. Imagine a man calling your daughter an idiot. Imagine her making the choice to tolerate the insults because she saw you participating in that. See it forward and I suspect you will reconsider your need to spew.

Never before in my life have I felt such an outpouring of gratefulness, generosity, and caring as I have witnessed over the last several weeks. Don’t know if I was just wearing the right clothes, or smelled just so, but I have had the pleasure of seeing some amazing things first hand. And, I feel glad from it.

Everywhere around us, we witness the world. Some of it can seem frightening. If you listen to the general attention monger media, you might conclude that we should all be in a constant state of fear.

But here’s the deal – fear is a state of mind, not an automatic reaction. When we open our eyes to beauty and miracles, we see that instead. Call me a rose-colored glasses wearing optimist, but hope and forward looking visioning feels better to experience. It gives me more strength of spirit to face the issues that need addressing and to take action. Fear cripples – hope and love uplift. Fear is a choice and it is not my choice today.

In honor of this elation and well…gratitude I feel for the wondrous and hopeful things I see around me, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite causes. If you have one you love, please list it in comments below so we can all know about the good work they are doing and how we can help.

Kiva.org – Microlending site: For as little as $25 you can provide much needed credit assistance to deserving entrepreneurs worldwide. Most entrepreneurs who use microlending are women.
RoomToRead.org – Literacy program started by ex-Microsoft executive, John Wood, that builds libraries throughout the developing world. Room to Read’s programs have reached more than three million children so far and hopes to improve literacy for ten million children by 2020.
WomenForWomen.org – Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency.
Charity: Water - Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. That’s one in eight of us. charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects.

We have the power within ourselves to create a world of peace, understanding, tolerance, and health. Thank you to everyone who is working toward this vision – know that many of us stand in gratitude for what you do.

Together, we are stronger!

Vicki Flaugher, CEO
SmartWomanGuides.com

Energy seeks alignment. Much like water seeks its mark, your energy and how you use it affects your entire life, your entire Being. A misalignment of your unique Self and the energy you are taking in and projecting out can affect your prosperity, your business, your happiness. So, choose wisely.

What does this have to do with being an entrepreneur? Well, everything you choose to do – your staffing, your business plan, your actions day to day – are determined by how you think of yourself and the energy you are managing. Are you acting smaller than you really are? Are you amping down your energetic personality to fit in? Are you staying quiet and invisible so you don’t offend anyone else? Are you seeking out other ants when you should be seeking out elephants?

Maybe you’re not an elephant – that’s my personal analogy that works for me – but there is value in being among your peers. Your peers of who you really are, not who are you acting like. Much like colors have different vibrations, different self-identities have a different vibration also. Are you sending out an authentic vibration? That vibration is the beacon that draws others to you, so once again, I’d say choose wisely.

Sometimes the hardest thing is to admit what you really feel, who you really are, how you really see yourself and make decisions from that place. You might need to get a new circle of friends. You might need to get fancy clothes and a new haircut. You might have to give up your excuses. You might need to forgive someone or some circumstance from the past. You might need to demonstrate deep courage.

Whatever it is, seek alignment. Be the real You. If you’re an elephant, start acting like one. Today. The ants will likely appreciate you going away and ignoring them because you’re probably just stepping all over them anyway. Today is a good day to be the real You.

But, done right, an honest “I don’t know” can be one of the most powerful entrepreneur tools available.

By getting in touch with the place inside of you that holds no judgment, or decisions, or prejudice, you can experience a world of creativity and insight that isn’t available to know-it-alls. By being willing to be vulnerable enough to ask a question instead of always being the one to answer it, you can open yourself up to new possibilities, innovative ideas, and – dare I say it – out of the box thinking.

The key to experiencing the power of a true “I don’t know” moment is rather straightforward – you have to be willing. And, you might have to practice a bit. So, to help you practice accessing that perfect intersection of creativity and inspiration, here are some tips:

Embrace the Value of Mistakes

Most people don’t like making mistakes, but they seem to have no problem forging ahead with their ideas and doing whatever might seem right instead of admitting they don’t know. They are more afraid of being embarrassed about seeming ignorant than they are about going right ahead and proving in action that they are!

If you make peace with mistakes and instead see them as the natural process of learning lessons, the pressure to seem like you know something instead of sitting with “I don’t know” for a bit will ease up. Once you can get past the automatic impulse to “do something” (even if it’s not the right something), the closer you will be to discovering the actual right something to do.

Make Asking Your Mode of Operation

Again, asking another to help you can perhaps feel demeaning, or seem unprofessional, or maybe – heaven forbid – reduce your credibility. But, really, the most successful people in the world, in business and in life, all ask questions much more of the time than they do nearly anything else.

Think of the added benefits of asking from a marketing point of view – it shows that you care about others, it shows you are more focused on them instead of yourself, it allows you to have up to date market data, and it helps you communicate that you are approachable. Even if you don’t want to ask a real, in the flesh person, at least have an open enough mind to entertain others’ opinions from books and training materials. Two heads ARE better than one.

Accept that Vulnerability is Attractive

How many people flock to help a person who knows everything? Nearly no one! People help others that need help. You can pretend you know everything, build a persona of invincibility, and you can have coffee by yourself. Or, if you’re willing to accept that vulnerability is attractive, you can easily draw in others who have much to offer you. Asking questions (and sincerely listening to the answers) can be a tool you use to allow others the saving face to come in and offer their help.

It’s nice to fantasize about being a well-respected guru who has people traveling from all over the world to seek their counsel, and maybe some day you will be that. But even the most famous of spiritual leaders, enlightened political figures, and a host of wealthy, famous people often greet those travelers with a question – NOT an answer.

We can all learn something from others around us, both the known and the lesser known genius minds among us, as well as the ones living now and throughout history. But, lessons don’t get learned if we aren’t already in a state of “I don’t know”, so get there are fast as you can!

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

Jen is the Attraction Diva, working as a successful business consultant, using solid business principles coupled with the powerful energy and visioning work of the Law of Attraction, to help entrepreneurs build six and seven figure incomes. She is one of my friends and trusted advisors and I wanted to share her with you.

I spoke with Jen about her beginnings as an entrepreneur, what she does now, as well as asked her for pointers to move past stuck places and doubt in our business. You can listen to our 18 minutes interview here:

Jen Blackert, the Attraction Diva, interview

From her early days as a young girl making soap and crafts to her poignant breakdown experience in corporate America, Jen walks us through what it took for her to have her entrepreneurial wake up moment. She also shared with me the way she approaches helping clients envision and shape their passionate work life, which fits in perfectly here on SmartWoman Guides.

Her upcoming Fearless Millionaire telesummit features 15 internet marketing entrepreneurs, including Bob Doyle, Ken Arthur, Mari Smith and more (see if you find a familar face there…ok,  yes, it’s me too!) The virtual event is a five day marketing and wealth creation event designed to increase abundance, awareness and business wealth creation. The five day event includes daily tele-trainings held daily at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern Time Monday, January 12 through Friday, January 16th.

Here is one of Jen’s interviews, where she discusses her Seven Dragons
book, on Fox News TV.

When you go to Jen’s site, you can sign up for several free gifts. I’ve done it and I recommend you do too.

Enjoy!

Vicki

For those of you who are actually introverted, I am not pushing you to change your basic personality. I am classified, per all the psychological personality tests I’ve taken, a gregarious introvert. I know it sounds like a oxymoron, but it’s how I feel. I am able to interact fairly easily with someone once I get to know them, but I get energized being in small groups or by myself. Large crowds don’t work as well for me. I enjoy solitude and quiet time. I am a recovering recluse, too, but that’s a different story. What I mean to emphasize is that being an introvert is not a disease or a mistake. If it’s how you are, fine. Feeling shy or introverted is ok.

But, if you are actually not shy but are playing shy and hiding because of a lack of perspective and self-confidence, I am begging you to stop it today, because, contrary to some social programming, hiding isn’t noble. False humility is not honorable, hiding your gifts does not make you more pure, and pretending that people should simply read your mind and know how fabulous you are is a losing business proposition.

Harsh words, I know. I’m sorry if they pinch. But, let’s come to terms with the difference between arrogance and confidence. You don’t have to go out into the market place and hype yourself all up, making inflated promises, hawking your wares like circus goods. You do have to state, with an aware sense of service, what benefits you provide and how your unique expertise can help your clients.

Yes, there is a fine line between being enthusiastic about what you do and how you do it and pushing too hard with empty promises. That’s the key – the word empty.  If you can actually do what you claim to do, it’s not empty. It’s not dishonest so you don’t have to approach it like it’s dirty. The thing to remember is that the more people who know about you, the more your message gets proliferated, the more people you can help. It’s not a popularity contest but rather an opportunity to serve more, to do more good. Good PR is not about satisfying your ego – it’s about reaching people who need you.

How can you help create better PR if you are not yet comfortable with being in the spotlight? Here are some tips:

1.  Ask for testimonials from your clients and other professionals.

Let others speak the words that you feel are too egotistical to say yourself. It’s a great way to be in touch with your previous clients, maybe get some referrals, but also to let someone else toot the horn for you. Ask for feedback on your service, your expertise, your creative problem solving, your pricing, your unique offerings. It might surprise you just how powerful reading that feedback will be for you. It’s touching to know that you affect people’s lives and it’s a very effective marketing technique to use on your website, in your newsletter, in your promotional materials.

2.  Hire a copywriter.

The best marketing includes keywords, benefits, to the point copy, plus graphical emphasis like bullet points and short, direct sentences. Instead of being hindered by a lack of confidence, a hired gun will have a 3rd person, more objective viewpoint to start with. Most copywriters will work to pull out of you everything they can use to featue you in the best light. Let them. Find someone who understands your vision and where you want to go in your business and let them work their magic with words.

3.  Practice.

Sending out press releases or developing a strong introduction ditty (your “elevator speech”) can be a challenge, but it does get easier with practice. Devote some time to learn about promotional strategies, ask your social media network for advice, read some books. For PR opportunities, visit HARO to start offering yourself up as an expert to media. The media is hungry for new points of view and have a 24/7 news cycle to fulfill. Develop a decent PR release using this Press Release Builder template, and just do it. The funny itchy feeling will go away and you will get more business.

Please know that I have every confidence that you deserve to be recogized for your greatness. Hiding just isn’t the answer, so reach out, speak out, and let your light shine! Today, ok?

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

Some items have a deadline to participate, but most do not.

To go to each website, just click on the beginning link of each listing.

• Blake’s 51 Birthday Gifts: I have had so much fun with this one! All free stuff and a wide variety of fun and incredibly useful things. Seriously great. I am still enjoying the presents he sent.
• Rebuild Your Virtual Business: Free teleseminar coming up on Jan 7th, free no-opt in Internet Myth Busting report, and more! I love these two women – great advice!
• The Attraction Diva: Free ebooks on how to attract more wealth and success into your life from Jen Blackert.
• Create Your Own Reality: 3 mp3 audios to assist you in creating more money, success, and love in your life by Nan Akash.
• KaNani Self-Care Products: Free 15 minute meditation audio to renew your spirit (just click on the link to the right hand side of the page), plus listing of several other of her favorite advisors who also offer interesting free gifts.
• The Art of Seeing the Divine: Transformational booklet to help you move from stuck to success.
• 10 Action Steps to Take: 5 page report the help you market your business with practical how-to steps for blogging, participating in forums, and finally taking action. (go to the opt-in box on the upper right corner to get her report)
• Deborah Dunn, licensed relationship therapist: Sign up for Deborah’s newsletter and post a comment on her blog and receive a free 20 min.phone consult with her. (expires Midnight 12/31/08)
• DotComSecrets Zero to $100 Million Contest: Free training and a charity drive, with the opportunity to win a Corvette and help kids in third world countries.

Here are some goodies I’ve offered on SmartWomanGuides.com before, but just in case you missed them, I wanted to highlight what is already available to you.

• Eldon Taylon Choices and Illusion Bonus Offer: Book launch bonus offer that I participated in. There is a bonus gift for you, just for clicking on the link and reading his inspiring special offer.
• “Building a Business Not a Blog” e-Book: I adore John Cow and he gives very straightforward information here in the 140 pg offering. I use it and I love it.
  
• Your Internet Cash Machine Sampler: Written by Jillian Coleman Wheeler and Joe Vitale (excerpt created by me), this 50 page e-Book takes out select juicy parts of their book on online marketing so you can learn and grow your own business from it.

I intend to continue adding free resources here, so bookmark this page as your favorite and please return frequently. I promise it will only grow and be even better every week!

Happy New Year to all of you and best of success in 2009!

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman