Archive for the ‘Personal Growth’ Category

Do You Cheat Others When You make a Profit?

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

One impressions I get from many women is that deep in your heart you may have a subconscious belief that you’re cheating others and are somehow bad if you make a profit.

Do you feel guilty when you make a healthy profit on what you do?

Do you charge enough for your products and services or do you undercut yourself at times?

Yesterday I had a meeting with a lovely woman who owns a business but spends all her time promoting others. She doesn’t take any money for doing this. In fact, when she’s tried to charge for helping others in this way – sending out notices for others on her e-newsletter and other promotional strategies – people are actually angry with her and say she should be doing it free.

In the meantime, her dear husband is working his tail off trying to make ends meet and his job is based on earning commissions. Unfortunately over the holidays the commissions were very low and now they’re trying to figure out how to pay all their bills.

I asked some probing questions of this woman and discovered that her Mother was a stay at home mom who only worked part time on an infrequent basis. My client got a lot of deeply negative messages about women who promote themselves and try to be anything but humble and meek. Messages like:

“Don’t get a big head.”
“Don’t be conceited.”
“Don’t be selfish.”

The message she got was that when she gives everything away and constantly helps others she’s being “a good woman.” When she does something for herself – she’s not a good woman. So, she keeps creating circumstances that reinforce that perception.

The challenge is when it’s time to pay the bills – if you’ve shorted yourself on what you charge, you end up falling short when it comes to your lifestyle and paying your bills. You can’t exactly go to your mortgage company or the grocery store and say, “Um, I’m a really nice person. Would you give me a little extra discount?”

Of course we know that’s silly. Why? Because these real businesses don’t give extra discounts. So if you consider yourself a real business – why are you undercutting yourself?

Here’s where it comes back around: In the real business world people don’t say, “Gee, that’s so nice. She’s only charging me $$ instead of $$$.” Instead they silently think, “She’s charging so much less than market rates – she must not be as good.”

Traditionally women always gave away our work. We have a history as volunteers. And, for centuries we were at the bottom of the totem pole when it came to jobs. Women were praised for being selfless and for constantly giving with no expectation of ever receiving anything in return except the warm fuzzy feelings of knowing we’ve helped. We made our husbands look good in the community while he took care of the messy job of going out and slaying dragons. Additionally, many of us have dealt with boyfriends, husbands and partners who became threatened when the woman they love made significant money or enjoyed a level of success.

We live in a very different world than the world our mothers lived in when they raised us. We were raised to be good wives, moms, sisters, daughters, friends and maybe a good employee. But we certainly weren’t raised to be a good business owners. And, it’s extremely difficult in this day and age for husbands to carry the whole load.

What thoughts, beliefs or attitudes were you raised with regarding the money you earn? Was it different for a girl in your home or your community compared to a boy? How much is enough? Is it fair for you to get a healthy profit? Will those warm, fuzzy feelings pay the rent or the mortgage?

Women are now starting businesses at double the rate of men. This has been true for over five years now. But many women business owners struggle because they’re uncomfortable about what it says about them to be successful when they feel a societal expectation for women to keep give everything away. Is it a good thing to make a profit? Or, does it mean you somehow had to claw over others to gain success? Is your business struggling because you’re new and just getting off the ground? Or are you struggling for other reasons?

All the best,

Denise Michaels
Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”

PS: Sign up for my free Marketing and Empowerment Tips by clicking here.

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Manifest a Man Who will Love You Forever (Part 2)

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”

(This is a continuation from Part 1.)

So, I knew I needed to make big changes. I knew I’d have to get out of my comfort zone to find true love.

I wrote an essay about what I wanted in a man. This is important. It doesn’t have to be an essay. It could just be a list. But here are a few crucial things to remember:

* If you want something in a man – you must be his equal because nature abhors a vacuum. If you want him to be fit and healthy it helps if you’re fit and healthy, too. If you want him to have a college degree it would help if you do too – or you’re working on it. It doesn’t have to be even-steven, but it has to make sense. If you want something you don’t possess – it helps if you have something else that compensates for that lack in a specific area.

* Sometimes we don’t realize it consciously, but what we THINK we want is actually what OTHERS want for us. Usually parents, girlfriends or someone else we have a close relationship with. These people have influenced us for years. They’re also the people whose approval we want so much we will unconsciously sacrifice perfect love (okay – almost perfect love *wink*) so they’re happy with us.

* Think about what will make your heart and soul happy. In my essay, I described how I wanted to feel when he touched me or held my hand. I described how I wanted his smile to affect me. I wanted him to be a good listener and have an easy sense of humor. I wanted him to be kind, gracious and liked by others but 100 percent true to me. I wanted him to have a good relationship with any children or exes. If he had children I wanted them to be grown.

* I didn’t care how tall he was as long as I could wear a medium heel and he’d be a little taller. I’m only 5′4″ tall and Ernie’s about 5′8″. After previous husbands who were 6′1″ and 5′11″ tall I learned height, though attractive, has nothing to do with real love. I also wanted a man who had a college degree who understood business but I didn’t want to be in competition. I wanted him to be supportive of my crazy ambitions and comfortable letting me shine. Ernie is all that.

* I didn’t care how much money he made but I wanted him to be self-sufficient and responsible with the money he did have. Traditionally women wanted men who make big bucks because at a primal level it was about looking out for the welfare of our future children. Now, its more about him being able to afford bling and a MacMansion. Don’t you trust in your ability to make your own money?

* Sweet, kind, supportive guys usually aren’t Wall Street Wonders or Captains of Industry slaying dragons and doing multi-million dollar business deals. Those guys want you to endlessly support them and be the Trophy Wife, not the other way around. The good guys are the men most women don’t notice. Or you’ll say, “He’s not my type.” They’re a teacher, web designer, social worker, computer geek, physical therapist, police officer or some other average position. These men can have a heartful of love to give.

* Millions of women are so busy drooling over “bad boys” and “players” – they never see the good guys. Open up to the idea that your type is an “unconditionally loving” man not a particular “look” or someone whose a constant challenge to your sanity or your self esteem. Slick guys lead to heartache. Why? Because they’re not emotionally available. They don’t know how to love a woman. They don’t have the maturity to be a loving husband to you.

* Don’t try to make him more loving, affectionate or communicative. The magazine headlines are wrong. Many women try to turn a person into a project. Stop wasting your time. Look for a guy whose naturally loving, affectionate and communicative. Upgrading his wardrobe and his hair isn’t difficult – but just about everything else is. It’s easy to change a man on the outside and almost impossible to change him on the inside. Besides, loving a man’s “potential” isn’t loving him – it’s loving what you WANT him to become.

Back to my story…

I didn’t date for almost a year – but I noticed when I started dating I was connecting with nice guys. I dated these men about a month and decided as nice as they were – we didn’t have enough in common to sustain a relationship. I looked at it as “practise.” I practised being open and vulnerable. I practised what it was like to share my feelings with a man and not have him whomp me over the head with ‘em later. Being vulnerable did make me more powerful.

When I finally met Ernie I just KNEW. I’d changed my perspective and my expectations of men. I changed what I thought of as important. So when I met that guy – my wonderful husband Ernie – it was instant. And yes, his smile still melts my heart, his touch makes me feel I’m home and he’s still a great listener.

When you get away from what you THINK you’re supposed to want and make different conscious choices that really work with the love you want to feel – that’s when you find love that’ll make you feel happy and fulfilled the rest of your life.

Isn’t that what you really deserve?

Tomorrow’s post: back to business. *smile*

Denise Michaels is author of the business bestseller, “Testosterone-Free Marketing.” Get your copy by clicking here. And, get Denise’s weekly empowerment and marketing tips by clicking here. Come join Denise Michaels in a movement to empower women business owners like you to be all you can be and to have more joy, more fun and more success in your life.

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Manifest a Man Who will Love You Forever (Part 1)

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”

In a few minutes I’ll get up, go to the kitchen and go make my whole-grain blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Ernie’s home. I wouldn’t make ‘em for myself because I’m not really a breakfast person. I’m more of a yogurt, granola and berries kind of breakfast person. You know those cups they sell at Starbucks or Panera Bread? Love ‘em.

But he loves a big breakfast and now that he’s finally home from his big project in SoCal, I’m more than happy to fire up the griddle and give him the big, weekend breakfast he loves.

The last five weeks he’s been working on a project in Southern California. He took the short-term assignment because it was very good money and he’s starting a business soon – so it gave him a short-term cash cushion before getting started. He’s come home most weekends – but by Sunday afternoon he had to turn his car around and drive away for another week. Now he’s really home.

Funny how when he’s around most of the time – I find him a little annoying. He’s always interrupting me to talk as I’m working at the computer. Sometimes I’ll get up from my chair and give him a hug and a kiss because I discovered if I give him a little attention he gives me more space. These last five weeks I’ve missed those annoying interruptions. I’m so glad he’s home. After twelve years his smile still brightens my world and his touch makes me feel I’m right where I belong.

This isn’t a regular post on marketing, personal growth or common sense. But, it’s the weekend so I’m sharing how much it means to me to have a wonderful love. Even when I get mildly annoyed I don’t take it for granted. If you look under my archived posts for October 18th 2009 there’s a post about how we met. You can read the story there.

This post is about the things I did before we met to manifest Ernie. This isn’t a blog on finding love or dating. And I know you can be in a space where you’re perfectly happy without a love. But I know so many wonderful, single women who want to find the man of their dreams, either they’re divorced or never married, and it’s eluded them. (I’ll go back to business focused articles on Monday.)

A year and a half before meeting Ernie I was in a relationship with a man that became physically abusive. That’s how low I’d sunk in my ability to choose a good guy. I was 37. One day I was driving home from a busy day and I didn’t want to go home to the arguments, the drama and being flung on the floor or punched again.

I thought, “I’m too smart for this.” I suddenly realized with blinding clarity, “Based on results, obviously I’m not too smart or I wouldn’t be in this situation.” I passed by the small house I rented and kept driving. I drove to a Burger King, sat down and had a soda. I went home and announced he had 30 days to pack up and move out. Or, I’d get a restraining order. I helped him find a new place and that was that. Fortunately, he didn’t who come back or stalk me. He was gone and I was relieved.

I was working part-time in sales. I made pretty good commissions so I could do my own thing when I left the office about one-ish in the afternoon. I went to my boss. He and his wife were also friends and hiking buddies. I announced, “If I’ve seemed distracted, out of it, unfocused or anything – this is why.” and I explained. “But it’s over, he’s gone and thank goodness, I’m moving forward.”

My boss’ jaw dropped. He said, “I’d never guess anything like that could happen to you, Denise. You come to work in a good mood, you’re focused, you do a great job. I’m stunned.” He and his wife gave me hugs and we talked a little more. He recommended I buy a book titled, “Conscious Loving” by Hendrickson and Hendrickson.

I made a commitment to myself:
1. I would give myself time to heal. Not just form “emotional scar tissue” – but truly heal.
2. When I was ready I’d do whatever it takes to find true love – even if it meant getting out of my comfort zone.

I bought the book and started reading. I was sitting at my kitchen table with the sun streaming in the window on a Saturday morning. I read, If you want a true, loving, co-creative relationship you must be willing to give up all your emotional baggage from the past. You can’t bring it into a new relationship because it’s almost like a third person – and a negative one at that.

I had a panic attack. I’d never had a panic attack before – there I was clutching my chest and gasping for air at the kitchen table for about 30 scary seconds.

The book went on to say being vulnerable and open about your feelings in a loving relationship gives you power. I had so much scar tissue from two divorces by age 34 and other bad relationships that thought was totally opposite from what I’d come to believe. My experience was if I was open and vulnerable about my feelings people would find a way to hurt me. I wore my scars and hurts with pride like The Red Badge of Courage. This was be a total change. I took a deep breath. After all, everything I’d done in the past didn’t work. I was ready to change even if it meant stepping into some scary places.

More to come tomorrow…

Denise Michaels is author of the business bestseller, “Testosterone-Free Marketing.” Get your copy by clicking here. And, get Denise’s weekly empowerment and marketing tips by clicking here. Come join Denise Michaels in a movement to empower women business owners like you to be all you can be and to have more joy, more fun and more success in your life.

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Common Sense can Increase Your Sales

Friday, November 13th, 2009

By Denise Michaels, Author, ‘Testosterone-Free Marketing’

Years ago I worked for a millionaire who said, “Common sense is uncommon, Denise.”

I watch with amazement new women business owners and I see what they become. Sometimes the results are spectacular. Other times they’re not. I meet people in networking meetings, on my teleclasses, at workshops or through emails that lack so much basic common sense I wonder how successful they could ever possibly become.

Daily I get emails and phone messages with no name. How can you form a relationship with people you want to help you if you don’t tell them your name? Doesn’t it make sense a mentor would be more inclined to help people they know, like and appreciate – starting with their name? How will this person ever complete a business transaction?

When making calls to people a couple weeks ago regarding my workshop – even though I just left my name, number and where I met the person – fully two-thirds never called back. All of them say they want more business – so why wouldn’t they return a phone call?

People miss phone meetings because they get confused about which time zone they live in. How will these people ever complete business deals if they can’t keep their own time zone straight?

Make it easy for people to say “yes.” Keep your word and be a person people can count on. Learn how to count time zones. If you do business with people outside the USA, as I occasionally do, learn how to use one of the easy currency converter sites. If you have to miss an appointment, be gracious enough to let the person know. The more you make your request easy and idiot-proof, the more likely you are to get a “yes”. The more difficult you make it, the more likely you are to get a “no.”

A great example was a man who sent me a lengthy email stating he wanted my help with marketing but he was afraid to share his idea because he was ripped off by someone else. I replied, “If you want me to sign a Confidentiality Agreement or anything so you feel comfortable speaking with me, I’m happy to do so.”

His reply said, “Okay, write up a legal agreement, print it, sign it and mail it back to me.” He made it overly difficult to help him so I didn’t.

The piece de resistance was last week. A woman wrote asking if I knew anyone who could help her with her website issues. I contacted a web expert who’s a woman. I gave the web expert the name and contact info of the woman who needed help creating a website. She replied, “Tell her she can call me if she wants to.”

I told her Lesson Numero Uno when someone gives you a referral is to be pro-active and follow up yourself. If you don’t, your referrals will dry up.

Lesson Number Two: go back to the person who referred you, thank them again and share with them what transpired. People who refer you want to see you succeed. They want to know what happened. If anyone helps you, go back and tell them how things turned out when you used their suggestions.

If you want to be successful you must take on success habits. That means not only visionary thinking and the right attitude, but also doing the little things right like returning phone calles. Make it easy for people to say “yes” to doing business with you.

Think about “cause” and “effect”. Think about what you want the experience of doing business with you to be like. What steps can you take to make it easier for prospective customeers to say “yes”? How can you think from their point of view and make it a slam dunk?

When people help you out, do you get back to them, thank them and let them know how their advice turned out? Or, do you act as if you’re somehow entitled and never say a word? Life is easier when you treat others as you want to be treated. It boils down to The Golden Rule.

Do you have a story from your business of someone who didn’t mean to do the wrong thing – but just plain didn’t have any common sense at all?

Take an extra moment to think things through in a way that makes people want to say “yes”. Use that uncommon common sense that’s so rare. Just by doing the right thing – you’ll have a huge advantage over others in your industry.

Denise Michaels is author of the business bestseller, “Testosterone-Free Marketing.” Get your copy by clicking here. And, get Denise’s weekly empowerment and marketing tips by clicking here. Come join Denise Michaels in a movement to empower women business owners like you to be all you can be and to have more joy, more fun and more success in your life.

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Are You Focused or feeling Fuzzy?

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Markeitng”

How’s your focus these days? Lately, many people seem totally scattered and overwhelmed. They look like they’re running in circles and we all know that can be really counter-productive Try to have a conversation with them and their eyes are darting off in different directions. I met a couple people like this at a networking luncheon yesterday. Schedule a meeting and they’re apt to goof up the time at least once. Had one of those yesterday, too.

It’s easy to blame it on the economy. It takes a lot more effort to find people who want, need and are willing to pay for your products and services these days. In fact I was just talking with an old friend yesterday who was telling me about a famous seminar guru who was planning on 800 people for an event in Atlanta recently and about 65 people showed up.

Yes, there are a lot of distractions these days. I can’t even tell you how crazy-making it is for me to have four email addresses and be checking Facebook, Twitter, my cell phone messages, my land line messages – and that’s all stuff that’s not the highest and best use of my time. But I truly believe our greatest solutions to our busyness are not factors outside of us – but factors within. After all, you can’t control much of what happens outside of you – you can only control how you respond to it all.

We all choose our lives and how we spend our time. Somewhere along the way you made choices. You may not have understood the consequences of those choices – but you made ‘em and here you are. It’s possible you don’t really want to do what you’re doing with your life and your time, so your mind throws up obstacles that feel like, “Oh, I’m so busy all the time. I just can’t get to the really important stuff.” Maybe it’s because you don’t want to get to the really important stuff.

Take some time to quiet down and slow down. I’ve sort of been forced to do that this week because I have a cold right now. As much as I want to get up and do more – I’m secretly relishing this time to take it easy. Yes, I actually have a positive attitude about this cold. But back to you…

Take some time to quietly think about your goals. Ask yourself if they’re in alignment with your core values. In other words – if you have a goal to make a big, six figure income and yet part of your core values is that you don’t believe that you deserve money – or you believe money is the root of all evil – well, Houston – we have a problem.

If your goals and your core values are not in alignment – you’ll be very stressed out. It’ll be like Sisyphus (of Greek mythology) pushing that boulder uphill forever. Not much fun. So much smarter to take some time to figure out how to get your goals and core values into alignment. And, if you have a core value that’s not working out for you like the one above – it’s time to change it. This is another reason why I say that your business growth doesn’t happen any faster than your personal growth.

Many women business owners have challenges in this area. They have very real financial needs: a mortgage to pay, insurance, savings – and all the other very concrete expenses of life. Unfortunately they also have a belief system (core valuues) that says it’s not okay for women to care about making money – that it’s somehow crass and cold. This is one of the many issues I’m going to be addressing at my No-Fluff Testosterone-free Marketing Magic Workshop coming up on Monday November 2nd.

When you set goals where there is alignment with your core values – it’s a much easier path, there are less distractions and problems. Everyone is happier.

If you’ll be in Las Vegas Monday November 2nd and you’re a woman business owner, do yourself a favor and check out my upcoming workshop by clicking here now. For a very nominal price it will transform your business for the better. The early bird discount ends on Friday night so today is a great day to register.

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Spinning in the World of Ideas

Friday, October 16th, 2009

By Denise Michaels, Author, ‘Testosterone-Free Marketing”

When you wear all the hats in a business – as most of us women, home-based business owners do – it’s easy to get caught up in a web of multi-tasking and being scattered with no clear focus from day to day. In a single day you can be handling marketing, operations, administrative and a myriad of tasks within those categories. To say nothing of putting clothes in the dryer, figuring out what to make for dinner, worrying about your third grader’s math homework and more.

I wrote an entire chapter in my book about the issues women business owners are challenged with regarding our focus and how multi-tasking can really be a mixed blessing.

Here’s what I think happens: when you become an entrepreneur it becomes easy to get caught up “spinning in the world of ideas” as I call it. So many opportunities and so little time. You can have a blast talking and thinking about all these cool ideas and how much money you can make with ‘em all. But you have to finally dig your heels in and get going with one (and keep going) to make money, right? Seems pretty simple so far – ahhhhh, but the plot thickens. *smile*

Here’s the challenge: while you’re spinning in the world of ideas – you’re not getting anything done. Nothing is being completed. Why would a person DO that when you don’t get paid in business until you complete things? The reason I believe so many women do it? Well, at the root of this “spinning,” researching and checking everything out – is that it means you get to avoid rejection because you haven’t made a commitment and jumped in to anything yet.

The minute you actually “put something out there” the rubber hits the road. You’re honestly faced with whether it will be a smashing success or a bomb. And for a lot of people that’s scary. Spinning is more fun and there’s no fear or risk attached to those activities compared to marketing activities which get you out there.

Here’s the funny thing: by “spinning” our subconscious mind believes it’s protecting us from rejection. However, over the long run it can mess with your sense of self confidence. How? Because after awhile you look back at all that time and effort and realize, geez it’s been six months (or a year or two years) and what do I have to show for that effort? All that spinning?

If you keep spinning and don’t step out – chances are you don’t have much to show for it. You’ve been busy – but you haven’t achieved anything, because you’ve been focused on spinning not on achieving.

For a lot of people it makes them feel like a failure and this can pull your self confidence down. But the truth is people who keep spinning have actually very successful – at avoiding rejection.

So, if you’re goal is to avoid rejection – keep spinning.

If you’re goal is to have a successful business and generate cash flow – start figuring out how to get beyond your comfort zone (I know a great marketing mentor who helps with that *wink* AND your strategy) and start bringing in some real paying customers and clients.

There are solutions to spinning in the world of ideas: mostly they have to do with facing up to the fact that what you put out there might succeed or it might fail. Making different conscious choices and excepting the reality that the outcome could go either way – and it doesn’t make you a good person or a bad person either way. But by taking that leap of faith – you’re making forward progress moving energy and creating momentum. And THAT feels great.

Discover more about Denise at Empower U Academy and Mentoring with Denise. And if you’re going to be in Las Vegas on Monday November 2nd come to my “No-fluff, Testosterone-Free Marketing Magic Workshop.” Click here for more information and to register today.

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Seven Success Secrets I Learned Working with Robert G. Allen

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”

During the seven plus years I worked with mega-bestselling author Robert Allen I never learned how to become a one minute millionaire. But I did discover some lessons that serve me well in life and business. Here are seven success secrets I carry with me today from that experience.

• HOPE: Once in his home office Robert turned to me and asked, “What do you think people want more of – the motivational stuff or how-tos?”

I replied, “How-tos, of course.” .

Allen added, “People will pay a lot of money for hope.” He was spot on. As I worked with protégés over the years in teleclasses and at seminars this lesson was reinforced over and over again simply based on what I observed. Help people see themselves as successful and a winner in the making. Even if they’ve failed in the past they’ll want to buy from you or know more about what you offer. Give them hope and encouragement.

• PASSION: I was bugging Robert to call a guy back who wanted him to become an investor in a business deal. He was avoiding calling the guy. Finally he called. “I’m not going to get in on your deal and here’s why,” he said. My ears perked up. Allen said, “I looked over your proposal and what you have is a winner – but that’s not the point. Sooner or later I’d get pulled into it and I only get involved with businesses I’m passionate about.”

Never again did I feel bad wanting to make money as a writer and as an author. I stopped feeling guilty about not signing up for MLM deals. If I have no passion for it as a business idea, I don’t do it.

• FOCUS: I used to pride myself on my ability to multi-task. I could juggle ten things at once. I noticed Allen did only one thing at a time. When working together he was 100 percent focused. If he had to call someone he was totally focused on that person. He never seemed stressed like me. I thought it must be nice to be a millionaire, then I’d have the luxury to think one thought at a time, too. I wasn’t envious of the fancy house or lifestyle – I was envious of having time to vision, think and create.

Then it dawned on me: maybe what helped him reach that level was focus. I decided to try it. At first I was afraid everything would fall through the cracks – but it never happened. Everything that mattered got done. I took time to vision and think. That time eventually resulted in my business-bestselling book, “Testosterone-Free Marketing.”

• HIGHEST AND BEST: Once I came in the office and Allen was trying to put together a metal mesh trash can. Finally he looked at me and said, “Now THIS is the highest and best use of my time.” We both laughed.

I started asking myself, “What’s the highest and best use of my time today?” I began accomplishing more of the things that mattered. Checking emails is NOT the highest and best use of your time. Figure out what is – and you’ll accomplish more every day.

• ULTIMATE BENEFIT: I learned this from one of the teleclasses he taught before everything was delegated to other trainers, including me. New business owners often try to figure out what to say to bring in new customers. Allen said figure out your ultimate benefit and start there.

To determine your ultimate benefit: If I used your product or service 30 days, did everything and got a great result what would I have? That’s the ultimate benefit.

• THE 10 PERCENT: Allen read a less than glowing review of his latest book and sighed, “I get a lot of that.” I read the book and enjoyed it. He said, “You can have a business where 90 percent of people hate you and still be a millionaire with the other 10 percent.”

Those words gave me courage when my own book came out and was embraced by many but booed by a few. Knowing I can be “out there” and be my slightly crazy self gave me permission to be my authentic self. Knowing I don’t have to have everyone love me still helps today.

• BE OPEN: Allen was inquisitive and open to learn. He constantly asked questions and listened intently. It was almost as if he was doing market research. People often felt honored a millionaire author would really listen.

Ask questions and listen to what people tell you. It makes them feel good and it might help you get your next big, successful idea.

Denise Michaels is a marketing mentor, trainer and author of the business bestseller, “Testosterone-Free Marketing.” Find out more about her at her websites below:

Marketing with Denise
Empower U Academy – Get marketing and empowerment tips here!
Get Testosterone-Free Marketing
My Copywriting Ebook

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Be the Change You want to See in Your Business

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”

After years of mentoring clients and leading teleclasses and workshops I’ve encountered many personalities among women business owners. Frequently I meet people excited, optimistic and confident about the possibilities to market and grow their business. But every time I talk with them they don’t seem like they’re moving forward. They smile and say all right things – but something holds them back from getting the good they say they want.

So it’s with apologies that you see above in the headline I’ve butchered Ghandi’s famous quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

If I had a nickel for every aspiring business owner who said, “Denise, I’ve read books, listened to audios and spent thousands on seminars. I should be a millionaire by now.” The missing link between buying knowledge and achieving confidence, abundance, health and anything else is taking action.

If you start an exercise program and go for a fifteen minute walk four times a week, you will get one result. Let’s say you start a different fitness program. You start eating healthier and gradually work up to running thirty minutes every day. And, you train with weights. The second fitness program will give you a different result. It’s about “cause and effect” again.

Let’s say you apply your energy to solving a specific problem. How you implement solutions impacts your results. One choice is to do nothing, toss up your hands and say, “I don’t know where to start,” Doing is key. Another choice is to say, “I can’t wait to see what good will come of this” and take proactive steps forward. You’ll get a different result. It’s all about cause and effect.

Yes, sometimes taking action is a little scary. I understand. It’s easier to spend time wandering aimlessly – considering different possibilities and ideas. After all, you never have to face rejection or failure that way. I say these people are spinning in the world of ideas. The ideas all look enticing – but you never enjoy the benefits until you pick a direction and take decisive action.

Most people who become wealthy do so because they take the same ideas (cause) and move energy, creating an effect. Some are motivated and go for it on their own. Others are smart enough to realize they needed help and mentorship to help them develop their strategy and ideas, support them when blocks come up and hold them accountable.

When you listen actively do you consider:

• How can I take this idea and use it to work for me?
• What would happen if I just went ahead and did it?
• How can I take this idea and push it even further to the next level?
• How can I customize this idea to my business and my needs?
• What obstacles are in my way? How can I remove them?
• How can I create a system that doesn’t require hands-on involvement?
• Will this idea help me create more of what I want?

What effects are you creating? Do you communicate clearly? Are you building positive relationships in business so you get the results you want and the cash flow, too? Are you looking for ways to put knowledge into action?

One of my favorite quotes by Albert Einstein is, “Insanity means doing things the way you’ve always done them and expecting a different result.” Your willingness to put cause and effect into action will help you take action and get the results you deserve.

Get my free mentoring and empowerment tips at http://www.EmpowerUAcademy.com Great information, very helpful right at your fingertips.

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Touch What Truly Makes Your Heart Sing

Friday, September 18th, 2009

By Denise Michaels, Author, “Testosterone-Free Marketing”

It’s easy to get disconnected from your passion. Owning a business takes a lot of hard work. Especially as a woman when you have so many other things competing for your time and energy. Let’s be honest, how many women among us enjoys learning QuickBooks, asking for the sale, writing a marketing plan or handling someone who says “no.”

Success in life, however you define it, goes to those who stick with it. It’s constantly touching back with what makes your heart sing. Be willing to touch back AND confidently take a risk with your business. Show up. Actor and Director Woody Allen is famous for saying, “Eighty percent of life is just showing up.”

Are you willing to stand out a little so people can notice you and you get what you want?

Kevin Skinner was exceedingly ready. The 35 year old, humble, family man and self-described chicken catcher from hardscrabble Mayfield Kentucky who tears up easily when people compliment his singing was more than ready to take his big leap. Watch his audition on America’s Got Talent by clicking here.

I was mesmerized by Skinner’s performance. My intuition told me he’d go all the way and win it all. I watched his YouTube’s as he progressed in the competition repeatedly. And I’m not a country music fan. At all. He sings with such heart, compassion and emotion. You want to give him a hug, a cookie and hear it over and over again.

Was he the best singer in the competition? Not by a long shot. But Skinner’s talent isn’t about having a perfect voice – it’s about by making each and every member of his audience FEEL and believe in his sincerity and innate kindness. That’s his gift. He took them on a 90 second emotional journey with each performance. That’s entertainment. That’s talent. Audiences agreed.

Now the whole world knows Skinner went on to win America’s Got Talent on Wednesday September 16th. See his winning moment by clicking here. Suddenly he’s a million dollars richer and has a contract for a headline show in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood.

I’ll bet Kevin knows he’s not a perfect singer. But he wasn’t willing to wait until he was perfect. Instead he got out there and saw how far he could go on the talent he does possess. The answer came back loud and clear: pretty far.

What about you? Have you hidden your talent or great business idea in the shadows for years hoping someday it’ll be perfect and someone will discover it magically? Life doesn’t usually happen that way. The people who win are the ones who move energy even if it isn’t perfect. In fact your talents and gifts will become more perfect when you get them out on a larger stage whether it’s in business or in life. Our true “lesson” in life is about growing up and authentically becoming who we really are. And, knowing how to market yourself and feeling good about it can help you get there – just ask me.

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