When I take on a new client, I ask them to fill out a questionnaire before we begin working together. One of the questions is: “Success means different things to different people; what does success mean to you?”

It seems like a pretty basic question at first glance, but when you really think about it, it’s fairly loaded. Your answer might sum up why you chose the business you did, how you feel about your family, what global issues are important to you, how important your physical and mental health is, what money means to you, and more. I’ve learned that very few successful business owners will describe success simply as running a profitable business. In fact, that is often one of the last things mentioned. The business is typically a means to the end; a way to accommodate values that represent whole life balance.

Another interesting and telling point is that many of the people who answer this question are thinking about it for the first time. Now I ask you, how can you possibly achieve success if you don’t know what success means to you? If you don’t even know what success is? It’s like trying to achieve goals that you’ve never set! Achieving clarity around your definition of success is a great start to growing a successful business and living a balanced life.

As an entrepreneur, success is probably one of your top values; one of the things that is most important to you in the world. So give this question some serious consideration. Ask yourself, “What is important about success to me? How do I define success?” Remember, this is YOUR definition, not that of society as a whole. This is all about YOU – Yay!

Now, if you respond by saying that you must have a profitable business and be highly regarded in your field, that’s great. But I challenge you to look at the bigger picture. If you achieve those things, but don’t have any time to spend with your friends and family, will you feel successful? How about philanthropic activities? Will you feel successful if you can’t devote time and money to causes that are important to you? Or – I don’t know – say… if your company adds to the effects of global warming? What if you feel and act like a total Scrooge to keep your company profitable and you don’t treat others in a way that’s in harmony with your ideal values – in the way you like to be treated? Will you feel successful if you make a profit, but have to work 12-hours a day to do it? Some people would say yes, some would not. And that’s ok. Remember, this is YOUR definition of success.

Well, you get the idea. Knowing what success means to you today will help you to build your ideal company tomorrow. Your company is an extension of you; identify and define your most important values and apply them to the way you run your company and live your life – inside and outside of work. This is a critical layer in the foundation of a sound business and a happy lifestyle. So, hello, my name is Marla and I’d like to ask you a question: What does success mean to you?

Going to this year’s BlogWorld (enjoy the pics) was a real treat for me. First of all, it was my very first blogging conference – yay! Secondly, it was paid for by our wonderful sponsor, Epson – yay again! The list goes on and on: I met most of the other SparkPlugging authors, what a great group and great time. I got to spend a good chunk of time with my dearest friend in the world, Wendy Piersall. I love her more each time I see her! We had a fantastic travel experience on Southwest Airlines – you won’t believe it when you watch this video! And of course, I met some of the most amazing people and listened to information-packed presentations. A number of fun-filled, information-filled experiences all tied up in one tidy package named BlogWorld.

I have to mention that there was a downside; the Sahara Hotel was the most god-forsaken place I’ve ever stayed. But the upside is that I’m now willing to try camping. I figure if I can survive 4 nights at the Sahara, I can deal with doing dishes in river water and peeing in the woods. See, I even learned that I possess greater survival skills than I would have thought!

But I brought home more than that. I have to admit that, prior to this conference, I didn’t fully understand the power behind blogging and other social media outlets. I was a twit about Twitter, I didn’t understand the level of relationship building that these resources offer, and I had a limited scope of understanding about on-line marketing. I had the honor of doing several interviews with people who get it….and teach it. And each time I walked away with a 100-watt light bulb glowing above my head…and it feels great. I could go on and on about the things I learned and the people I met, but today let’s talk about how to keep the light bulb bright by creating and following through on the action plan.

I’ve come home with tons of insight, information, and a goals list the length of my arm. Now, how do I assimilate, process and take action? Isn’t that what we all face when we complete a workshop, seminar, or conference? Urrgghh! It’s so overwhelming! Here’s the process I use when I learn a lot of new stuff and want to put it into action. It takes away the feeling of being overwhelmed and helps me feel good about what I’ve learned. If you have something to add to the list, please do!

• Create a bulleted list of the most significant takeaways and AhHa moments.
• Divide the business into chunks; products, services, public speaking, and future products, services and growth plans.
• Now list your tools; blogs, marketing resources, on-line marketing/websites, social media outlets, email lists, etc
• Cross-reference your conference takeaways with each individual piece of your business. What will you add, change, and phase out? For instance, I’ve learned more about the value of interviews so I’m adding one interview per month to my SparkPlugging blog. I came to grips with the value of Twitter, so I’m building short snippets of time into my day to participate and TwitterFeed my blog posts. And I learned more about the power behind FaceBook, so I’m going to create a presence there and add that to my list of resources/tools. Obviously, since this was a blogging conference, most of these fall into the on-line marketing section of my business. But I also have ideas for the products and services pieces of my business and I’ve built those ideas and the research behind them into my plan.
• Next make a goals list with targeted dates for completion and each step you will take. Don’t forget to build in time for your learning curve. It’s important not to set yourself up for failure.
• Do one thing at a time! This is important. When I came home last week I felt anxious and frustrated. I felt like I was behind the trend and would never catch up. How was I going to make these enhancements to my business overnight? The answer is obvious; I can’t. This process helped me create balance and resume my more natural state of calm, confidence, and orderly thinking. That’s the state I need to be in to create change.

This may sound like a lot of work, but frankly, it took me about two hours to achieve. When you separate and cross-reference, it’s easier and less overwhelming. Now I have a list of steps that I refer to each day and I don’t have to decide or think about what to do. That’s half the battle!

What’s the next educational experience that you plan to embark on? Hopefully, this action plan will help to make your investment of time and money create a strong impact on your business. And remember – have fun doing it!

I’m just back from a week-long retreat and discovered that, while I was away, StomperNet added at least 16 bonues worth over $10,000 to their already amazing FREE offer for Stomping the Search Engines 2.0 and their new Net Effect Journal.

If you’re a business owner with an online presence - or want to start your online presence - and have not yet registered for your free copy of this program, now would be the time. Monday, September 15th is the last day to get the bonues.

Sorry I wasn’t around to get you this info sooner.

Even if you’re reading this after the bonuses have been pulled, you’ll still want to grab your free copy of Stomping the Search Engines 2.0.

And here’s the thing, Search Engine Optimization has never been the top priority in my Internet Marketing strategy. But after watching just the first two modules in Stomping the Search Engines, not only has SEO moved way up on my priority list, but I now have some amazing new tools that will help me in all areas of my Internet Marketing.

Go grab your copy here.

As a small business owner or solo entrepreneur Vision is often an afterthought. But there’s a very good reason why Stephen Covey made the second habit of highly successful people “begin with the end in mind.”

Covey Says:

“‘Begin with the end in mind’ is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.”

One of your most important tasks as a business owner or entrepreneur is that mental, or first creation that Covey speaks of. You must envision the outcome. You must know what you want for your business. Only then, can you successfully engage in the second, or physical, creation.

When you know where you’re going, you know the direction you need to travel and the the roads you need to take to get there.

Whereas Mark Twain reminded us that “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”

Far too many businesses, fall into this trap. Because they don’t know where they’re going, every road looks like a good option. And so they end up trying them all, heading this way and that way, circling back and realizing they’ve already been there.

If you’ve ever wondered why your business keeps ending up in the same place, it’s probably because you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t have the end in mind!

Your business vision describes the way you imagine and intend your business to look in five, ten or more years. This vision should engender passion and excitement to keep you moving forward. It motivates you, any employees, and all who come into contact with you and your business to take the inspired actions necessary to attain the vision.

To be effective, your business vision needs to be bold, expansive and inspiring. Think of the phrase that Neale Donald Walsh uses in his Conversations with God series: The Grandest Version of the Greatest Vision you’ve ever had. That should apply to your business vision.

When formulating your business vision, step outside the box of your own limiting beliefs and the beliefs of those around you. It’s much better to have a business vision that is too grand, too large, too expansive and not achieve it than to be too realistic and limit yourself before you even begin.

It was Michelangelo who said,

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

An expansive vision provides you with motivation to keep going. A grand vision, one that clearly and passionately expresses a big dream, can also help call in the support you need to create it. People are attracted to boldness. People want to attach themselves to and support a big dream. Make it yours!

When beginning to work on your business vision, don’t get caught up in style or format. Just start dreaming and writing. Ultimately you may refine these ideas into a formal vision statement.

But for now, let your imagination play and let yourself experience the feelings associated with your big vision.

For a great story about the power of vision, check out this interview that Ryan Higgins did with Frank Kern.

Your vision is the top of the mountain you are climbing. If you know you’re going to the top, you know that if you just keep hiking up, you’ll eventually get there.

But don’t worry… there are always other mountains to climb!

What is your business vision?

If you’ve tried to order your copy of Stomping the Search Engines yesterday you know that they’ve been having some problems over there. Apparently the amount of traffic they received was significantly more than they anticipated (and they anticipated a LOT!) Well they’ve worked out the technical glitches and seem to have their site up and ready to take your order.

If you haven’t already heard, they’re GIVING AWAY the $500 Stomping the Search Engines 2.0 and the $39 first issue of The Net Effect Monthly Action Guide. You’ll just have to pay shipping (and they’re not even marking that up!)

I’ve had a review copy for a couple of weeks, and I can say without hesitation that you’d be insane not to get these amazing resources for free!

If you’ve got a website or are considering launching one, you WANT this information! Go grab your copy of Stomping the Search Engines Now.

Ok. From a marketing standpoint, I understand the concept of giving away great content. When you give away awesome stuff, you build credibility and trust with your prospects and clients. But at what point does giving away free content become counter-productive?

I think the folks at StomperNet are attempting to discover that edge.

While they’ve been hinting that the price for Stomping the Search Engines and the Net Effect would be surprisingly low, I had no idea that they would be FREE!

Yes, I just heard that they’re giving away these amazing products.

I still haven’t finished reviewing all of the video lessons in Stomping The Search Engines 2.0, but you can read my review of the brand new Net Effect Monthly Action Guide.

You will pay shipping for the DVDs and the Journal. I’m not sure what the shipping cost will be, but unless it’s something outrageous like $50 it’s definitely worth it!

So just why, exactly, are they giving away this content? These videos are easily worth $500. And as I said in my review of the Net Effect Journal, it’s easily worth $40.

Well, they’re obviously betting the FARM that you will LOVE this stuff and stick around for more.  That takes GUTS, and HUGE confidence in the quality of their stuff. But then again, it is StomperNet. I’ve SEEN the stuff, and can vouch.  It would be worth FULL PRICE.

But for FREE?  You’d be FOOLISH not to check this out.

I’m certainly not an expert at the level of these guys. But I know my way around the Internet Marketing world. And, less than halfway through the video course, I’ve already learned a ton of great stuff that I’ll be applying to my business!

Don’t believe it?  Watch this video they’ve released to the public.

If you have an online business and have not yet heard of StomperNet, where have you been! Stompernet.net is a high-end members-only site that provides some of the most well respected and high-quality training in Search Engine Optimization. Along with their fee-based products and services they offer some pretty amazing free tools for optimizing your SEO campaigns.

When I heard that they were getting ready to release a new version of the product that really started the entire StomperNet “empire” Stomping the Search Engines 2.0 (STSE2) along with their new monthly journal, The Net Effect Monthly Action Guide I was excited.

But I’ll be very honest with you that I was not planning to promote this new product. Because the Stompernet membership site is priced at $800/month and therefore way out of the reach of most small business owners I just assumed that STSE2 would be another very high-end product.

Well you know what they say about assume! While I don’t yet know the actual price of these products, there have been some pretty heavy hints that they will NOT be out of the reach of small business owners. And that’s good news!

Because on Friday, I received an unexpected review copy and have been digging into the contect ever since.

Now I have not finished the STSE2 DVD-based training program. There are 7 modules with 4 – 7 video lessons in each module. I’m about half-way through and hope to finish it in the next day or two. When I do, I’ll get you a review of that program.

If you want to see the specific contents, tou can go check out the Stomping the Search Engines Site.

And, while you’re waiting for the review of STSE2, I have finished the Net Effect Monthly Action Guide. So let me take a moment to tell you a bit about this journal.

Now I’ve read a lot of search engine magazines and journals. Some are decent. Most, honestly, are not that great. This one is extremely good!

What attracted me to the Net Effect journal is that it seems to be perfectly targeted at my level of Internet Marketing expertise. They seem to have made an editorial decision to target intermediate and above Internet Marketers. And that’s perfect for me.

Now, if you’re just starting out in the Internet Marketing arena, you can certainly learn a lot from this journal. However, in order to fully leverage the material in the Net Effect, there will be some basic knowledge, skills and tools that you will need to learn about from other resources.

I read through this journal in one sitting, not because it’s light on content, but because the content is so great!

I took away some excellent information on leveraging Twitter to drive qualified traffic to your website from excellent articles by Paul Colligan and Dave Taylor. There’s also a fabulous article by David Bullock on the key components you should be testing on your website.

There are excellent articles on email deliverability, article marketing, Keyword Research and more.

But the article that was the most helpful for me and that I want to share a bit of with you, was by Sherman Hu. He shows you, step by step, how to easily publish and distribute multimedia content on blogs for increased interest, readership, inbound links, strong positioning and conversions.

It’s a sweet system and uses two tools that I’m familiar with and two that I had not heard of before. I’ll give you a brief overview of the system here. But if leveraging rich media on your website or blog is a priority for you, consider checking out the Net Effect just to get Sherman’s step-by-step guide.

Basically, he walks you through the process of integrating wordpress, the podpress plugin, castingwords (a cool completely automated transcription service) and blip.tv.

Once the system is setup, you have an almost completely automated system for publishing video, audio and text to your blog and websites. This is great news for your readers and for you!

So what’s the bottom line on The Net Effect Monthly Action Guide? This journal is easily worth $100/month or more. And while I still don’t know the actual monthly price, I’ve heard rumors that it’s going to cost far less than that!

Just learning about Casting Words, and their $0.75/minute budget transcribing service will save me far more than $100 in the next few months!

I’ll let you know when The Net Effect is available - should be later this week. And I would definitely encourage you to seriously think about checking it out.

And watch for my review of Stomping the Search Engines 2.0 in the next day or two.

If you’ve been in business for a while you probably know that scarcity is an extremely effective marketing tactic.

And for those of you who are new to marketing – whether online or offline – scarcity occurs when there is a limitation on a product or service. This limitation can be an actual limited product supply – “We only have 200 of these models left” – or a time or quantity based discount or special offer - “This early-bird pricing is only available until September 18th. After that the price doubles!”

One thing we know is that scarcity works!

When done well, this technique has proven to create a sense of urgency in customers and prospects that causes them to pull out that credit card and make the purchase NOW!

In most cases that’s a good thing for everyone. It’s certainly a good thing for you as the business owner. But it is often also a good thing for the prospect. When the product or service being marketed is truly a valuable resource, sometimes giving the prospect that little extra “nudge” gets them to say yes to something that will benefit them.

Obviously, as with any effective marketing technique, it can also be used without integrity – and I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of examples of scarcity being used in that way.

But for the conscious business owner, an important question to ask is: “When do scarcity tactics cross the line and diverge from the path of integrity?”

Certainly there is a place for scarcity tactics within the marketing toolbox of the conscious business owner. But this path is one that quickly can turn into a slippery slope.

I’ve noticed that some of my virtual mentors – people and businesses that I consider examples of how conscious and successful can coexist within a business – using scarcity tactics in a manner that seems to be heading down that slippery slope.

If you read my Evolving Times blog, you know that I’m a big fan of motivational events and seminars. I’ve attended many events put on by Peak Potentials Training, James Ray, Robert Kiyosaki, and others. Each of these events has provided me with major value, and I highly recommend them. And, without exception, they use scarcity techniques to upsell additional events and products.

If you want to see some truly brilliant marketing in action, attend one of these events. You will get to witness master marketers at work! Even without the value you get from the event, the opportunity to learn from and model their marketing methods on its own is worth the cost of admission!

But, as I’ve observed their methods, I’ve begun to question whether or not some of their marketing tactics cross the line and start sliding down that path away from integrity?

In some cases, I would say yes.

If you’ve been to one of these events, you already know what I’m talking about. When they do a sales pitch or a “bookstore” for another product or event, they use lots of tactics to whip the crowd into a buying frenzy!

But the tactic that gets people – sometimes hundreds of them– literally running to the back of the room with their credit cards in hand is scarcity.

Now don’t get me wrong, I feel they are completely justified in offering “at seminar” special pricing. It makes sense to provide an incentive and benefit – a big discount – to the participants who take action during the event.

However, they often create a further sense of urgency by saying that enrollment at that price is limited to a certain number of people. And this is where I begin to question the integrity of their tactics.

It just seems arbitrary. Often they do not give any reason for the additional limiting factor. It seems to have been pulled out of thin air.

But the real issue I have with it, is that I have never seen that second limiting factor enforced. I have often estimated the number of people at the sales tables. And, unless my estimates are way off, far more people are purchasing the “special” than the number they said were available. And, as far as I can tell, no one was turned away or told that they would have to pay the higher, non-limited, price.

I struggle a bit trying to reconcile my belief in the value of the events and products they are offering and some of their marketing tactics that, in my mind, stray from the place of integrity.

And these questionable marketing tactics extend beyond the live events and into some of their Internet marketing tactics.

Here’s an example of an Internet Marketing scarcity tactic from a person I - still - consider one of my primary role models. I must admit that when I saw this, it definitely shook the pedestal that I had placed him on!

Now, at face value, there’s nothing wrong with this tactic. In fact, you certainly COULD use this kind of tactic with integrity. However, the webpage for this event had this text - exactly as you see it here - for at least 6-weeks prior to the event – and it’s still up there even though the event happened over 2-weeks ago. So either they were having a really hard time selling that last seat or they were stretching the truth a bit!

Now if integrity is not one of your core values, than, by all means, go ahead and use scarcity in any way you desire. The Machiavellian approach to Internet Marketing – the ends justify the means – definitely does work. And you see it put to good use by a lot of online marketers.

But if you are a conscious business owner for whom integrity matters the question becomes:

“Can you harness the power of scarcity with integrity?

I believe you can!

And here are the guidelines that I use when incorporating scarcity tactics into my marketing efforts:

1. Be sure the product you are offering is of true value.

This – hopefully – goes without saying. But I’m saying it anyway. As a conscious business person, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are offering high value to the right people. From a long-term, business success standpoint, it makes absolutely no sense to offer products or services that are anything less than the best you have to offer.

2. Market to the appropriate target audience.

Do you know who you are marketing to? If not, you’re going to run into trouble. Get very clear on your target market and make sure you market to them! And test that target market: If your return rate is much higher than 5% you probably need to tweak your marketing strategies to ensure that you’re marketing to and attracting the right types of customers.

3. Clearly describe your target market in your sales copy.

Once you know who you are marketing to, make that clear on your sales page. Don’t be afraid to include copy to filter out inappropriate prospects. While you may lose some short-term sales, ultimately, this is going to increase your business credibility, reduce your return rate and increase the lifetime value of your customers.

4. Offer, and honor, a money back guarantee.

When you use scarcity in your marketing, no matter how clear you are in your sales copy, some people who are not appropriate will end up pulling the trigger and purchasing your product or service. If you’re going to use scarcity tactics to create a sense of urgency that causes people to buy, you must be willing to back it up with a strong guarantee.

5. Make it real.

Artificial scarcity can very quickly erode a business’s credibility. How many times have you seen a sales page with an offer such as “Today only the price is 50% off” only to discover, when you go back a few days later that the price and the offer is exactly the same. You know, something like this:

“P.P.S. Don’t forget. This price is guaranteed for today only. We’ve increased the price before and will probably do so again. I’ll keep it here at least until midnight tonight (EST), but make no promise about what it will cost you tomorrow. If you pass on this now - you may not be able to buy x at this price when you come back to this site tomorrow.”

If you’re going to use scarcity, make it real, and take the time to put the technical pieces into place so that it truly is a one-time-offer. Check out your shopping cart to see if you can set up automatic expiration dates for coupon codes. The cart I use, 1shoppingcart, can do that and a lot more.

Also if you’re going to create a one-time-offer, make sure it really is! If you want an example of a one-time-ofer that really does go away, visit my Energetics of Attraction Digital Learning Course page. I’m using a product called ShowStopper to set up the one-time-offer. It’s inexpensive and easy to install - though I have noticed a few little kinks! There are also free scripts that you can download and install. And you could also set this up on a wordpress page using a plugin.

For another example of a truly masterful one-time-offer, sign up for a free Simpleology 101 account. I consider Mark Joyner to be a master at using marketing tactics that work with integrity! Pay close attention to what happens after you sign up!

6. Be clear about the reason.

Why is this scarcity in place? Why is the product limited? Why will the price go up after midnight? If it’s a bogus reason, you’ve instantly lost credibility. Make it real. There are a ton of valid reasons why you would place a limitation on a product or service. It’s a bit more difficult with digital info-products. But if you use your imagination I bet you can come up with some good ones! And when you do, make sure you let your prospects know the reason.

So those are the guidelines I use to ensure that the scarcity tactics I use – and in fact, all marketing tactics I use – are used with integrity.

I’d love to know your thoughts. What guidelines have a left out? What are your thoughts on using scarcity in general? Do you have other examples of scarcity marketing that works with integrity?

The bottom line: If you’re a conscious business owner, go ahead and use scarcity, it works. But use it with awareness and an eye towards long-term business sustainability rather than short-term profit. If you do that, everyone wins!

And by the way, this post is an entry in the Problogger Group Writing Contest. There’s still time to enter!

Overwhelmed by Opportunity asks: I’ve come to a bit of a roadblock in my business. There are so many opportunities and ways to spend my time — PR, marketing, networking, partnership, events — these are all great, but I am feeling completely overwhelmed with these. How do I know what to take on and what to pass on? I don’t want to regret a missed opportunity, but I also don’t want to spread myself too thin and get burn t out . Any advice?

Dear Overwhelmed,

I hear you. I love opportunity, but I also know what it means to have more options than I know what to do with. It’s true that too much opportunity can be a detriment to success if you get bogged down in it and spread yourself too thin.

It sounds like you need to refine your focus and get really clear about what it is that you want to accomplish. Here are a few steps to get you started:

Revisit your business plan: What…you don’t have a business plan? Hmmm…that could be the root of your problems. Look a business plan doesn’t have to be some 30-page monstrosity. It can be a simple 1-pager that outlines your numbers and your goals for the next year. Having a clear plan will help you prioritize. And if you do have a business plan, now is a great time to revisit it. What have you already accomplished? What is still on your list? It’s likely that things have changed since the last time you looked, so set aside a few hours and do some strategizing.

Research what is unclear: One of the biggest reasons why entrepreneurs don’t make decisions or move forward is because they just don’t know what to do. If there is something that you find you’re avoiding, it may be time to pull that monster out from under the bed. And the best way to do that is research, reading and talking. Especially talking. Let’s say you’re considering a partnership but you don’t know how to structure it. To figure out what that entails, ask several respected entrepreneurs their thoughts or post the question online. There is power in tapping your community. The SparkplugU classes are a great way to brainstorm with other entrepreneurs who are thinking about the same things.

If you’re baffled by marketing, our own Marketing Eggspert, Susan Payton here at Sparkplugging has some quick and very focused answers in her recent post 5 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Marketing.

Focus on the immediate goals: Now that you have a plan for the next year, it’s important to start breaking that plan into manageable pieces. Write out what your immediate goals are for the next six months. It’s good to have the big picture in mind, but it does take steps to get there. Writing down what HAS to happen in the next 6 months will help you from getting distracted by all the pretty shiny things along the way.

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize: Now that you have planned and strategized, it’s time to prioritize. What are the most important tasks, and what are the steps you need to do to get there? Add some dates to these and check off your accomplishments as you go.

If after you’ve focused, strategized and prioritized you still feel overwhelmed, you may want to weed some things off of your list. This is about getting things done and keeping your sanity in tact.

Follow up: Be sure to take time out once a week to see what needs to be done, but more importantly what you’ve accomplished. Allow yourself the option to make changes as you go – it’s inevitable and makes it all so much more exciting.

Try as we may, we can’t do everything. We can do a lot though, and a good way to get there is to plan as best we can and to give ourselves kudos for all of our accomplishments!

To finding your focus!

Starla

Lonely Entrepreneur asks: After quitting my corporate job to focus on my own business, I’m feeling in between worlds. I just can’t seem relate to the 9-5 mentality anymore. There are so many cool things going on in my life right now, but it feels like the cubicle dwellers can’t understand my life or what I’m dealing with. Does there have to be a rift between us?

Dear Temporarily Lonely,

First off, huge props for making the leap - it is one of the scariest things that you can do. It takes some serious cajones to make the switch from cubicle dweller to fearless entrepreneur. What you just did counts as a major life-changing decision. It’s exciting and fulfilling, but I’m not going to lie to you, it can also feel lonely.

It would be nice if everyone understood the magnitude of what you just did, let alone supported it, but that’s asking a lot. Some people will be happy for you. Some will be shocked. Some will be threatened and some won’t know how to react. You will grow new relationships and you will have to let go of others. Letting go of people in your life can be difficult, but holding on to relationships that aren’t working can hold you back, bring you down and be even more difficult than letting go.

Now, about those people in your life who aren’t as supportive as they used to be… There are several reasons this is happening to you (as well as many other entrepreneurs who have made a switch like yourself).

Fear: They might truly be afraid for you as they need security in their lives and they try to impose that on you. They might not know how to relate to you because you are going through some significant changes in your life. And as you become truer to your calling, you may find the rift growing.

Jealousy: Yes, there are people (many people) who are jealous of what you are doing. The jealousy is related to fear as they might be too afraid to take a risk like you have. The fact that you have taken a risk is causing others to look at their own lives and dreams - they might want to pick your brain on how you did it, or they might belittle you because of their own insecurities. Hey, you know you’re fabulous when you start to inspire jealousy!

Fear and jealousy can manifest in ways that try to undermine what you are doing or even make you feel bad. How much time should you spend explaining and defending what you are doing in your life? That’s really up to you, but in order to keep moving forward in a focused and clear direction, I would suggest that you not spend much time at all on this. There are people out there who will support and respect what you are doing, you might need to let go of some relationships that aren’t working to make room for ones that will.

How to manage:

Get out there and network. Meet others who are doing what you’re doing or who have made similar changes in their lives. There are plenty of meetups, entrepreneurial organizations and other groups out there - find them.

Nourish your supportive and healthy relationships.

Stay positive and redistribute some of the energy you were wasting back into you and your business.

There are so many amazing and inspiring people out there. It’s just up to you to get out there and meet them.

To becoming more fearlessly yourself!

Starla