Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities... Fantastic Ones

What a joy to be on Fantastic Frank's radio show. Now here is a man who inspires me!

A great definition for the word resilience is Frank Johnson. Frank survived a fire, divorce, and bankruptcy, a great deal of change for anyone to cope with. He also encountered tremendous loss, he  lived through the loss of his business, singing voice, his career as a chemical engineer, his fine motor control. And his outlook on life is Fantastic!  

On Franks' show we talked about resilience, overcoming fear and how fear creates choices... the choices to become paralyzed by fear or to move through it. We also discussed how one's mindset and thinking greatly shapes and impacts the results that people experience in their life. Using affirmations, affirmative thinking and making a choice about how to let a daily challenge impact you are some of the many solutions we explored. 

We also talked about my new book co-authored with Debra Kasowski, who was also a guest on Franks' show in September.  Our book, GPS Your Best Life, is being released on November 21, 2012, and Frank asked a great question about the book....What does it mean to live your best life?

Wow, what a juicy question. What does that mean to you....to live YOUR best life?

I think "best life" will be different for each person, and I think perhaps our definitions change in time. For example, in the 1980's I was a Correctional Officer, and at that time I was living my best life. I loved my apartment, owning my first car, the career I chose... I was living my best life, I was serving my purpose. Fast forward 15 years, I was a corporate mediator. Helping businesses and teams in crisis and conflict solve the people issues that plagued their teams and got in the way of success. I was again living my best life. It was different from my earlier career, I was married, in love, on purpose, owner of two thriving businesses... and being in service to the organizations and groups in our community.  Fast forward to now... I AM living my best life... still in love....still married to the greatest guy on earth. Living my purpose as a speaker and author, serving others, and happy... Fast forward ten years... not sure what it will look like, but I do know one thing for sure... living my best life has a lot to do with love, passion, purpose and being of service to others.

What does it mean to you?

Listen to Frank and I discuss this and many other interesting topics at: 

Listen to internet radio with FantasticFrank on Blog Talk Radio



GPS Your Best Life:  www.gpsyourbestlife.com

Tips to Success- being yourself really matters!

Graham White, a recent guest on my radio show, talked about some of his Tips to success.  I really enjoyed his comments about being authentic, passionate and being able to move through the discomfort that is associated with growth.  All of us....business owners, leaders, team members, volunteers, have felt that discomfort that comes hand in hand with stretching out of our comfort zone and growing into new skills and abilities.  I do know that when you don't expect perfection, and you show up in the world as the best version of you, this process is a little less painful. People are much more understanding, and even forgiving, when you are simply you.  When you try to be someone you are not, or dodge around your mistakes, it creates distrust. 

Regardless of where you are in life and business, Grahams' tips to success are most helpful:

- Be yourself, you must be authentic, real and congruent

- Play to your natural gift, your passion

- Know what your gift is,

- Move through the discomfort of claiming your space

You can listen to more of Graham's wisdom and insights in our discussions on Conversations with Charmaine Radio, at this link:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/04/11/guests-dr-larry-ohlhauser-and-graham-white

Full On Service - What Does it Mean?

This is one of the questions I ask the audience when I present on the topic of Working with Passion & Purpose. I am always intrigued by the answers this question stirs up. Recently, here is how an audience answered that question:

Being Full On in Service to Others:

•        Energized
•        Fully present
•        Coming from a place of giving (without expectation)5 ways / 5 actions to be more passionate and purposeful at work:
•        Smile
•        RAK (random acts of kindness)
•        Laughter
•        Connections
•        Acknowledgement
• 
  
• 
  

     When we discussed what the purposeful passionate team demonstrates in terms of qualities and attributes, this was the response:

•        Fun
•     Great team work
•        Collaborative
•        Sense of Freedom
•        Compassionate
•        Feel useful
•        Supportive
•        Determined
•        Successful

Being purposeful, passionate and present is not always easy; in fact, it can take work and energy. However, I know that not being present, purposeful and passionate is a lot more work. Often when you are not present, mistakes are made which require a mulligan (a do-over).  I am of the mindset why do something twice, when it only needs to be done once? 

Here are a few ways to be present, purposeful and passionate:

•        Frame your day- decide in advance how you will show up. Make a conscious decision about how you want your day to go.
•       Start your day with gratitude by identifying (and stating) one thing you are grateful for.
•        Ensure you nurture your health and well being.
•        Slow your pace, just a little bit.
•       Take time to breathe properly.
•        Keep your work space a little less busy or cluttered.
•       Remove distractions when you are trying to focus.
•        End your day with gratitude.

When you show up purposeful and present, it is much easier to tackle whatever comes your way as life happens.

Can you REALLY Mix Business With Pleasure?

I think the answer to this question is HECK YES!

You can mix business with pleasure, I do it every day. My business is my passion, I love to speak at events, I enjoy writing and creating new training materials for my clients. And, mixing my business with philanthropic missions is not only enjoyable, it is rewarding.

Dave Albano, author, speaker, marketing expert, mountain climber, and all around GREAT guy!
http://www.100customers.net/

Dave Albano, my colleague, friend and marketing expert agrees! In fact, every day he mixes business with pleasure. He is a shining example of what happens when you combine your genius with your business. He is a mountain climber and a marketing expert and has found innovative ways to combine both. Also, he has turned his passion for mountain climbing into a business and philanthropic activity. Every mountain he climbs is a fund raiser for nonprofit organizations. He has raised thousands for Little Warriors, and is now raising money for Be Brave Ranch a program that will provide safety, support and counseling for children who are victims of abuse. He is on a mission to climb one mountain a month! Talk about a great way to mix philanthropy and business, and make the world a better place all at the same time.

To hear Dave talk more about this, listen to our recorded conversation on my radio interview with him:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/04/18/guests-dave-albano-and-maria-simone


How have you mixed your passion or philanthropic mission with business? What model works well for your business?

Blake Mycoskie is another example of how mixing business with philanthropy can benefit many. I thoroughly enjoyed Blake’s book, and I look forward to one day being able to interview him on my show as well.

To read Blake’s book, visit:
 

Got Money?

Maria Simone is a transformational business and funding strategist who helps business attract funding, launch products and create abundance. Maria is also the founder and CEO of Passion to Prosperity, Leadership Director for the National Business Experts and Producer of the fundraise Investor Pitch and Enlightened Entrepreneur Summit. She wants business owners to know that "the money has not left the planet"; in fact, there is a lot of it out there. The key is knowing how to tap into more.

One of the first steps is to do a mindset test, advised Maria Simone. Is your mindset and thinking more about abundance or scarcity? Thinking there is more than enough to go around or not enough to meet your needs? Your mindset is critical in securing funding and tapping into investors and financial abundance.

When creating joint ventures with other businesses and authors, look for the W3- win, win, win. Win for you, win for the other partner and the win for the client or customer. Each of you needs to prosper from this partnership or collaboration. 

Check our Maria's exciting new venture:   http://www.100mdfc.com/  or http://www.esevent.com/

Here are some other Simple but powerful strategies from Maria:

- Create joint ventures

- Determine what you are trying to accomplish- list out your goals and list out the resources you have and the resources you need

- Explore partnerships

- Ask for deferred payments or payment plans

- Trade products and services

The money- funding is out there. There are always businesses looking to support launches and be a part of events. You can ask them to support your project by offering a “loan” as an investment, then after your launch, you pay them back plus interest or a bit of profit. Listen to the fabulous example Maria shared on the second half of my radio show (starts at 30 minutes in):

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/04/18/guests-dave-albano-and-maria-simone

To read Maria’s book Passion to Prosperity visit:

What’s Your WHY?

I watched a great Ted Video with Simon Sinek, who was talking about leadership, however, I also think his ideas are a brilliant fit for business, authors and book selling.

Sinek said “people buy WHY you do it, not what you do”

He said the old way of doing things in terms of  marketing and selling no longer work.  He implied that we are in a time now where connection matters and meaningful conversation is what people want. This is great for authors! We need to be connected to our audience, our readers, and other authors. And, meaningful conversation is part of what we do! 

As you go about your day today think about your WHY. Why you started the business you did. Why did you accept the job you are in. Why you are passionate about your work. This will start you thinking about your WHY.

You can watch Simon's presentation here: http://blog.ted.com/2010/05/04/how_great_leade/

Remember to talk about your WHY.  

Who is Leading Your Tribe?

Book Review on the book TRIBES by Seth Godin


Godin describes a tribe as a group of individuals who are connected to one another, an idea, and a leader. According to Godin, you must have a leader otherwise it is not a tribe; the group is imply a group of people. This connection, the tribe, requires two things. The first is a common interest, and the second is communication. Communication can occur in several different ways: leader to tribe, tribe to leader, tribe to outsiders and between tribe members. There have been initiatives and groups to which I have belonged that could be considered a "tribe" in that the members were connected to one another sharing an idea or movement they supported, and where there was a leader. The energy in these groups was very high in that the shared idea was what rooted the members together. The leadership provided the communication and drive to move the initiative forward.


A tribe does require a leader. Leadership and management is different, Godin summarizes the difference as a leader being one that creates change you believe in while managers are more about managing processes and manipulating resources. A tribe leader can increase the effectiveness of the tribe through transformation- transforming the shared interest into a clearly defined goal that the individuals are passionate about. The leader secures the resources and processes to communicate effectively and supports the tribe in growing and evolving.


In the book Tribes, Godin talks about one barrier to bringing good ideas to reality, that is FEAR. He suggests that while many people come up with great, even groundbreaking, ideas however most lack the will to actually make the idea happen because we are hardwired with fear. Fear is also a reason that many leaders avoid leadership...because of the discomfort involved in leadership. There is discomfort when making an unpopular decision, taking a stand, challenging the status quo, change or settling for just "okay". Leaders stretch to move out of the discomfort to be effective in their role, and in doing so, provide the opportunity for change, growth and action towards the goal or mission, or a movement.


There are several "musts" for a movement, according to Godin, those are:

- A Manifesto or what I refer to as a charter- a clearly defined message that is easy to understand and as easy to share with others

- Accessible leaders and connections with others

- Opportunity for members to connect with one another

- Money enables the movement, but money is not the point of the movement

- Progress is tracked.

The principles required, that can also benefit your team are:

- transparency, a movement or goal that is bigger than you, opportunities to grow and thrive, and a high degree of caring.

Who is in your tribe? Whose tribe do you lead? What movements can you get behind to make a difference?

To learn more about Seth Godin or the book Tribes, visit:

Adequate Team Effort

The other evening Tabitha Takes Over came on the television.  What caught my attention about this episode was the business owner's expression of exhaustion and lack of passion.  It drew me to the TV to listen.  The owner of the salon looked exhausted, worn down and defeated.  It was clear she had given up on her business.  It was also clear that her team had given up on the business as well, and, they had also given up on her.  As Tabitha went about her masterful Takeover process she expressed shock at the degree of complacency that had developed in this business and the team.  Not only had the team given up but they had adopted the mindset of settling for low to no standards on cleanliness, reputation (their own included), and customer service.
What disturbed me the most was what happened at the renovation and on the subsequent "reveal day".  During the renovations the team collaborated to do a spring cleaning on the salon.  When Tabitha pointed out the filth in the salon and at their workstations each staff member blamed someone else on the team and the owner.  No one took ownership or responsibility for their work area and said things like, "Not my job!" and, "Why should I have to help clean this place?".  WOW!  Then, after Tabitha's team remodeled the business and gave it an extreme makeover inside and out, aside from the owner, there was not one smile.  They walked through their newly renovated, spotless and modernized salon with no enthusiasm.  They appeared to completely lack interest in all the effort and upgrades that were completed, in part, for their benefit.  Immediately the team members began making comments about everything they did not like.  "I think there are too many colours" and "I wouldn't have picked this type of chair" or "They should have chosen new toys for the waiting area, kids won't like these" were the only things they could find to say.
To bring the team back to a more healthy level of performance, and to stop the complacency, the following steps were implemented to help raise energy and passion:

• A policy manual and procedural expectations were set and documented.  Staff were advised that these must be adhered to.
• The team was held accountable to the new standards.
• The owner was also held accountable to uphold the standards.
• Training and coaching were made available to the team.
• The owner was more present and spent more time in the business

If your team is struggling and has become complacent, revisit the tips that Tabitha offers.  Ensure people know their roles and the roles of others.  Ensure that issues are addressed and dealt with immediately.  Don't allow them to build and grow complacent with them.

Cutting off the Rut

The other evening Tabitha Takes Over was on, and I caught the business owner’s expression of exhaustion and lack of passion. It drew me to the TV to listen. The owner of a salon looked exhausted, worn down and defeated. It was clear she had given up on her business, and, her team had given up on her...and the business. As Tabitha went about her masterful Takeover process, she expressed shock at the degree of complacency that had developed in this business and team. Not only had the team given up, they had become complacent, settling for low to no standards on cleanliest, reputation (their own included), and customer service.

What disturbed me the most was what happened at the renovation and the subsequent “reveal day”. During the renovations the team collaborated to do a spring cleaning on the salon. When Tabitha pointed out the filth in the salon and their workstations, each staff blamed someone else on the team and the owner. No one took any ownership or responsibility for their work area and said things like “not my job!” and “why should I have to help clean this place?”. WOW! And then, after Tabitha’s team remodelled the business and gave it an extreme makeover inside and out, there was not one smile, other than from the owner. They walked through their newly renovated, spotless and modernized salon with no enthusiasm, and what looked like a lack of interest. Immediately the team members commented on all they did not like “I think there are too many colours” and “I wouldn’t have picked this type of chair” or “they should have chosen new toys for the waiting area, kids won’t like these.”

To bring the team back to a more healthy level of performance and to stop the complacency, the following steps help raise the energy and passion:

-          A policy manual and procedural expectations were set, documented and staff were advised that these must be adhered to

-          The team was held accountable to the new standards

-          The owner was also held accountable to uphold the standards

-          Training and coaching was made available for the team

-          The owner was more present, spent more time in the business

If your team is struggling and has become complacent, revisit the tips that Tabitha offers. Ensure people know their roles, and the roles of others, and ensure that issues are addressed and dealt with immediately. Don’t allow them to build, and grow complacency with them.