Dream Big – Ready or Restricted

Do you dream big enough that it blows your mind? Or…are your dreams restricted by what you perceive as physical truth? Things like how much money we have in our bank accounts, our age and physical limitations, our abilities and resources, and what other people say is possible or impossible in the economy stand in the way of big dreams.

As I look back on the past year of working with clients to help them define a business vision and launch their businesses, thinking small has been the number one barrier to full on success. So much so, that I’ve decided to add another complete module to my Business Launch Mastery training called Dream Big. I launched the year with an event with the same focus, Dream Big Launch Bold.

When we fail to think bigger, we simply fail to reach our full potential. Our business, life, and relational rewards will be ones of mediocrity and lack. If we fail to dream big we fail to impact the world around us in the way we were purposed at birth. Every one of us was designed with a plan to fulfill.

Do you know what yours is?

Dream Big – Abundance or Lack

Those feelings of lack…not enough money, not enough time, not enough knowledge, not enough clients, not enough creativity…those are what can control our potential instead of trust in our thoughts and faith in our Source. Your mind is the battlefield where ideas that come from the mental and spiritual parts of our being wage war with the physical.

Which one will win?

There is absolutely nothing to stop us from taking our ideas and speaking and working those into reality. Everything we see in the physical began in somebody’s mind. At creation the entire universe went from thought unseen to visible manifestation. And that Creator is our Source, so if you believe, as I do, that Source is unlimited then we have all the abundance we need to Dream Big.

Dream Big – Break Through to Your Brilliance

What steps can you take to expand your dreams and make them reality?

1. Be senseless! That doesn’t mean to put the practical aside completely, but when it comes to dreaming, you cannot be held hostage to what you see, feel, hear, smell, and taste…those things that are limited to the physical world. Ideas are birthed in our mental and spiritual being and are manifested by faith, not sight. That part of us is what makes us “creative” beings. When I get started mind mapping with my clients, the first thing I teach is to simply start putting the ideas down…whether they make sense or not.
2. Be illogical! Planning comes later. Let the ideas flow even if it seems impossible. If it’s easily achievable, makes total sense, and you can see its process from beginning to end in your mind, your dream needs expanding. A big dream will make you uncomfortable, will require you to say yes without all the answers, and stretch your imagination to new heights.
3. Be excited! If your dream doesn’t stir up passion, enthusiasm, commitment, and risk taking then it’s not big enough. Big Dreams challenge us, scare us, and maximize and expand our thinking to take us beyond what we’ve accomplished into what we can accomplish next. Our mindset will create a new physical reality so we can continually grow in our potential. How exciting is that!

Dream Big – But Don’t Just Dream

I love the series of books written by Dr. Myles Munroe on potential.  In his book, Understanding Your Potential, he discusses the process of thought into the tangible. He says “thought” is a silent word, a “word” is an exposed thought, an “idea” is the concept of thought moving into reality – potential, and “imagination” changes an idea into a plan. What do you imagine for yourself this year?

You can dream big in your mind, but if those ideas never make it into a clear mission and then into a plan of action, then the passion you have to make a difference will never be realized.

Napolean Hill said in his book, Think and Grow Rich,

“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

When you dream big dreams, create big plans, take big action, then you achieve big results.

What big dream do you want to achieve in your business? Please share it below!

Every year at Christmas I would get a 1000 piece puzzle from my kids and we’d spend the next 7 days putting it together on a card table with the goal of completing it before January 1, so we could put it up or give it away to some other puzzle lover. It became one of the season rituals, and we always followed a similar pattern in solving the puzzle.

First, we always dumped the pieces and set up the box cover for the big picture of what we’d be creating. Next, we’d strategically look at how we were going to piece it together and create a plan. Then we’d look for all the edge pieces and start with building the frame of the puzzle until that was done. Based on our plan we’d separate the different segments of the puzzle into areas and each of us would work on specific parts of the puzzle like a central object in the puzzle, or color patterns, or the sky until most of that segment was done. Lastly, we’d find the transition pieces that blended the segments together to create the finished picture.

We were fixed on the vision of getting the puzzle completed in a certain period of time, and I look back and realize that it was a teaching moment for my kids to make a decision, create a plan, set a time limit, build the framework and take specific action steps to reach the goal. It was also a lot of fun and something we did together as a family during the holiday season. The journey of puzzle making was as much fun as the completed puzzle.

I’ve had people share with me that they’ve given up on their big dreams because they never seemed to get closer, no matter what they’ve tried. The error they’re making is that they’re expecting the puzzle to get done without ever taking the pieces out of the box and plotting the course to put it together. They may have purchased the puzzle and have written the goal of completing it on a card somewhere, but the pieces still sit in the box.

If you’re not also mapping your course to get from box to completion of the puzzle picture, if you’re not figuring out the first goal of creating the plan, then following the plan forward in strategic steps, you’re going to end up with a box of confusing puzzle pieces.

The same can be applied to launching your business, or planning the year ahead.  Dumping the box is that first decision you make to put your business into action.

If you’re struggling to go from writing or speaking the goal to actually “doing” whatever it takes to make it happen (dumping the box) then here are 7 steps that can break through the barrier of inaction.

1. Drill down to YOUR ‘why’. Revisit your core reasons for reaching your vision? Make sure they are strong enough to sustain your vision.
2. Take an honest look at your beliefs around money. Are you focused on the current economy? Is fear and uncertainty causing you to play small? The idea of making six figures doesn’t mean anything if you only believe you can achieve $30,000. Set a goal and create a plan that stretches what is possible for you. Dream big!
3. Create a clear vision of what you want to achieve. What will it look like? How will it change yours and others lives? Who will it impact? Is it a vision that gets you excited to implement?
4. Get rid of the baggage from the past. Are you hanging on to the failures of past goals? Forgive yourself and experience the freedom of moving forward with enthusiasm. I love this quote by Denis Waitley, “You are your own scriptwriter and the play is never finished, no matter what your age or position in life.” So rewrite your script and let the past go!
5. Do something achievable to reach your goal every day! Creating small goals that you can achieve daily will get you to the end result a lot faster than just talking about the big goals and never getting anywhere. Do it and see how much more focused you can be on the tasks at hand.
6. Enjoy the journey. When we put the puzzles together it wasn’t just about finishing the puzzle, it was just as much about doing it together as a family…the fun, the time together, the goal of achieving something in collaboration was all part of the experience. Be present in the moment and enjoy what you’re doing along the way!
7. Practice the attitude of gratitude. Appreciating where you are and what you have right now will help you launch boldly toward your goals. Gratitude is one of the biggest attraction factors in life and business. Creating a ritual of gratitude such as a gratitude journal or weekly blog post, or sending a card to someone can help to keep you in the mindset of expressing that appreciation regularly.

Many of you will create a plan for 2012. Maybe you already have it written down. Maybe you’ve declared it to others. But have you tipped the puzzle pieces out of the box and started to take action?

If any one of these steps stands in your way, you will struggle with achieving your goals. I don’t say that to discourage you, but to challenge you to break through to the next level in your life and business, and make 2012 your year to move forward boldly!

Happy New Year!
Leta

I’ve outlined 3 powerful goal achievement tips for you to finally reach your goals and keep on going.

Create big goals and small goals

When you create big goals, it gives you the motivation to keep on going, but if you see a slight disappointment and possibility of that goal not being reached, you can fail and instead give up. That’s why it’s important for you to create small goals as well. By doing so, you can keep yourself motivated whenever you reach some small and achievable goals every single day with your business.

Even just the slightest achievement of one goal can light a spark of hope in your heart to keep going. Small goals can easily be created, and by creating a few and actually reaching them, you can be one step closer to actually earning the bigger profits you’re seeking with your business.

Make it a goal to do something today

Don’t wait until tomorrow before you actually go after your business! Do it today and reap the benefits of being one step closer to financial freedom. Don’t wait until next year to start coming up with your “big idea” on how to best serve others while making money. People who succeed are those who try and actually do something about what they want. Make it your goal every single day to do at least one thing to launch and grow your business and then actually do it.  Success is bound to happen in the end when goal achievement is part of your daily practice.

Don’t forget to seek help

By seeking help from somebody with experience in  business, you are sure to reach those goals that you’ve always wanted. Let’s say that you’ve always wanted to take your passion and experience and turn it into a business that prospers. With an expert’s help and guidance, you can achieve that goal. Whether it means buying a product or actually going to a training  event, anything that you do for your business is going to help you make money.

If you’d like to finally make the difference you’ve wanted, contribute value without compromise, and actually reach those money goals you’ve been setting, then I invite you to join us in the Business Launch Mastery membership. Every month we take you through some of the most important aspects of creating a profitable online business that starts with an authentic heart message.

So, if you’re ready to launch your own business, make a greater impact, and actually make profitability part of your goal achievement, there’s no better way to do so than to have the benefits of weekly interaction with a business launch mastermind, monthly access to fresh, relevant training directly related to launching a business, and weekly Q&A that gets and keeps you unstuck and moving forward towards goal achievement.

]]> http://letarussell.com/goal-achievement-tips-for-business-success/feed/ 0 http://letarussell.com/launching-a-business-can-help-you-achieve-your-life-purpose/ http://letarussell.com/launching-a-business-can-help-you-achieve-your-life-purpose/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:00:38 +0000 LetaRussell http://letarussell.com/?p=1233 Launching a business could be one of the best ways to turn your hopes and dreams of financial freedom and personal achievement into a fulfilling reality for you and your loved ones.  Many people spend most of their lives doing things that they are only doing because they are getting paid to do it, or because they feel that it’s what they have to do because of their current situation.

This is what leads to a life of frustration and dissatisfaction, especially when you realize that deep down inside you know that you should be doing more with your life.  It does not matter whether you are a full-time student, stay at home parent, employed in a job or career you don’t really like doing, unemployed or under employed.  Launching a business that you feel passionate about can allow you to completely transform your life, both emotionally and financially.

If you are someone who has tried to go into business for yourself before and it did not work, or you have never actually started your own business before, launching a business by yourself can be scary, confusing, and seem pretty risky, as well.  However, by getting some expert advice on what you need to do, and how things need to be done, you can overcome all of the challenges and obstacles that you will need to deal with to be successful.

If you are like most successful business owners and entrepreneurs then you know that you have the potential and ability to be, do, and have more than what you currently have, and you may also already know that the only way for things to change is for you to change.  Most successful business owners will tell you that launching a business for yourself is often the one change that can affect everything in your life for the better.  It may seem difficult at first, but if you have what it takes to persevere then it definitely is not impossible.

Here are some of the basic things that can help to increase your odds of success in launching a business for yourself :

1.) A strong belief or passion for something that would help or benefit others. This could be a completely new product or service or just your ability to do something better than the way others are doing it.

2.) A willingness to learn, change and grow. By learning from others who have traveled this road of entrepreneurship before, you will be able to benefit for their experience.

3.) The drive and determination to be successful.  Often times achieving success means getting back up one more time after each unsuccessful attempt.

Those are the three basic ingredients that can help to get you started.  By taking the time to cultivate, build, and develop these three things, you will be putting yourself on the path to emotional and financial success.  It is important to keep in mind that this will be a journey to success, so you will need to invest the time, energy and effort needed to complete the journey. However, it is bound to be a more rewarding journey than settling for an unfulfilled life of dissatisfaction which comes from not following your passion.

When you are launching a business around something that you believe in, then you feel good about the work that you are doing because you know that you are helping others and making a difference as well. That’s exactly what being a heart centered entrepreneur is about…impacting others, while making money doing something you really love.

If you’re ready to take the step and reach out for the expert help that can get you successfully launched, I invite you to take a look at a Business Launch Mastery Mastermind to see if this is the right step to achieve your Big Dream in 2012, so YOU can Launch Bold and make your dream a reality! This year long supportive mastermind will take away the confusion and fear of getting started and put you on your path of financial freedom and personal achievement.

Life happens!  I know you’ve had a few crisis moments in either your personal life or the life of your business. No matter what you do to prepare for or prevent them from happening, some things are beyond our control.

Just this past week…during a coaching session, a client had water start coming through his ceiling. Another client recently had to have surgery and experienced a personal crisis with his son…all in the same month. Just two weekends ago, our son’s fiancée canceled the wedding 24 hours before the ceremony. In October I had to return early to the US because of a visa renewal delay…that still hasn’t been processed.

These circumstances can throw us into frustration and a negative mindset…or at the least create a huge distraction…if we let it.

Or, we can choose to harness our emotions and thoughts to transform our life, business, and relationships. Yes, you have a choice. It’s called self- mastery and is a big factor in how you lead, reach goals, and fulfill your mission of launching your business.

My Thursday Thanks may seem a bit odd, but I’m grateful when “life happens” and provides a greater awareness of my attitude. It often gives me a new set point for moving forward and shows me where I might need more growth.

How we react and move forward in decisions and actions has everything to do with mindset, positive or negative. When challenges bombard our lives and businesses, what shows up in that adversity is our attitude and character.

Positive emotions are not necessarily an innate part of our lives. It’s so much easier to get caught up in the excuses and dis-empowering thoughts and emotions that keep the mind chatter going and our work and lives distracted from our potential…especially if that was the operating method of our family or friends growing up.  It takes effort, at least at first, to choose forgiveness over resentment, personal responsibility instead of excuses, and change versus comfort. But, mastering this area of our lives allows us to move forward, stay focused and reach our long term goals more joyfully.

We’re going to be devoting a whole segment of my upcoming event, Dream Big Launch Bold, to self-mastery. It’s that important…especially for entrepreneurs. And mastering our thoughts and attitudes stands above the rest since it affects every other area of mastery.

The awareness and acknowledgment of knowing why and how we approach life is transforming. Our philosophy about life is integral to our ability to think big, take risks, adapt to change, and handle those “life moments” that might leave some in fear, indecision, and overwhelm.

How do you choose to go through life? Do you know what you want out of life? Do you make things happen or allow them to happen to you? Are you even conscious that you have a choice or can create a plan? Are you grateful when life happens in a way that exposes attitudes or changes your course?

Feel free to share some of your thoughts, experiences, or how life challenges have helped you in your personal mastery by leaving a comment in the box below.

So, today I want to extend my Thursday Thanks to all of you, my clients and Business Launch family, I’ve been blessed to work with and serve over the past 6 months. I’ve experienced some incredible breakthroughs in my business the past year…going from just a big idea, to launching my business, to helping others reach their own breakthroughs to start a business…and now to planning my first event, Dream Big, Launch Bold.

There is nothing I have more passion for than to help new and existing entrepreneurs launch, build, and grow, thriving and heart-centered businesses where they can deliver their unique message to the world and have fun living a life of their own design! I strongly believe that we can achieve more when we consciously exercise a power of gratitude attitude.

Thursday Thanks has been just one of the rituals I have integrated into my life and business in recent weeks.  I get such positive responses from all of you, and the emails I send out for these posts get amazing open rates. I can’t help but think that there is just something magnetic about gratitude. The more I practice it in my life, the more I tend to hang out with those who express lots of gratitude in their lives, too.

So today I’m really thankful for…

A Mom who shows up when I need her most

A great family, strong marriage, and healthy kids and grandkids

Incredible friends who keep life amazing and fun

A growing business that allows me to help people all over the world launch and grow their businesses

A faith that allows me to dream big and trust beyond my own limitations knowing that my Resource is Infinite

When I find myself mastering my thoughts and choosing gratitude instead of resentment, frustration and blame I have more happiness, more energy, and make a greater contribution to those I serve. It is simply a choice.

So, whether you are American, or live anywhere else in the world, I want to give you the chance and choice to express 5 things you are grateful for today. Or feel free to share the gratitude rituals you use to live more abundantly. Simply post in the comment box below and share with all of us.

In the meantime, have an amazing Thanksgiving Day today and every day!

Eiji Morishita…a True Go Giver

I was in Southern California 2 weeks ago preparing to attend Lisa Sasevich’s Impact and Influence event. It was stellar, but I’ll go more into that another time. Because today I want to give a big Thursday Thanks to my event coach, Eiji Morishita.

I met Eiji at Didi Alcheva and Glenn Arcaro’s first live event last March where I was a guest speaker. Immediately I sensed Eiji was one of those people who naturally brings out the best in people and rejoices in their success. Some things had gone awry in the first couple of hours of the event that had created extra stress for all of us, and he stepped up to calm the situation. After presenting our segments that first morning, he introduced himself to me and offered to help in any way to make the event exceptional. That alone did a lot to make things better. He also offered some awesome feedback!

At the time I didn’t know he was a seasoned speaker who was planning his own event a couple of months later. I just thought he was there to support Didi, Glenn and I. It really wasn’t until lunch the second day that I had a chance to sit down with him and hear more about his story and experience as a speaker. He has a really interesting story that touched me deeply.

Later when the event was over and we were enjoying some down time with some of the attendees, I felt compelled to share pieces of my life story with him…something that I haven’t shared with many people, even to this day. I’ll never forget what he said to me that night…”It’s exactly the things you feel uncomfortable talking about that you need to share with others. It’s the things you’ve experienced and overcome that will help others relate to you emotionally and break through their barriers to reach their own potential”.

Shortly after that event, I ended up doing a mind mapping session with Eiji to help him organize his 3 day event last May and then flew back to L.A. to attend and get to know him better. It was a fantastic 3 days, and since then he has hosted more events and has one coming up in a week. It’s called Six Figure Speaking Secrets Live.

Do you have a message inside of you that you want to get out to the world? Have you ever considered speaking or hosting your own live event? Are you interested in writing a book? If you are in or near the L.A. area I highly recommend you attend a life changing 3 days where Eiji and his guests will be covering that and way more. Enter in code: SCHOLARSHIP to attend for only $97 (a huge $300 discount).

Transformational Impact

I am passionate about being a messenger and sharing my mission with the world! His advice and the personal stories he shared at his event stirred in me the desire to be even more open and authentic, so for the first time, I will be sharing my complete, unfiltered story and heart message with you at my first live event, DREAM BIG, LAUNCH BOLD, January 27-29, 2012, in Portland, OR. You’ll be hearing more about that next week. And…I also plan to write my first book next year. So, you can see that his influence was transformational for me.

So…it’s not surprising that Eiji was the first person I connected to for coaching when I decided to host my first signature event in January. While I was in California, he agreed to meet with me for 90 minutes to help me plan my agenda and go over the key points I need to include in the event. Well, 90 minutes stretched to 2 ½ hours together where he outlined everything I would need to plan and host a stellar event. It was an amazing time where he opened the door to all the keys and secrets of putting together an event that creates a “wow” experience for those attending.   Even more impacting was that I was then able to look for those same keys while attending Lisa’s event, so his coaching points were anchored in real world experience and application.

I’m so excited to be planning DREAM BIG, LAUNCH BOLD. It’s scary, yes, but knowing I have the support and help of a professional like Eiji means so much. I look forward to introducing him to all of you who attend my event.

By the way, Eiji is also an amazing people connector. He associates and collaborates with an incredible circle of authors, speakers, coaches, and business professionals who impact and influence the world around them. I encourage you to connect with him on Facebook and attend his event, Six Figure Speaking Secrets Live November 11-13, 2011. Make sure you use the code SCHOLARSHIP to get the maximum discount.

Thursday Thanks, Eiji, for being an exceptional model for go-giving, successful speaking, networking, and event hosting.  I appreciate your time, your expertise, and your friendship! My life has been enhanced and expanded through our connection and I’m grateful!

Has Eiji influenced your life in any way? Or have you had someone else who has? I’d love for you to share below!

Self-mastery is part of the “Mind”ing Your Business  mind strategy I introduce in more detail in the Business Launch Mastery program and Mastermind. If you really want to be a successful entrepreneur, there are certain habits that are critical to goal achievement and seeing your business vision fulfilled.

In a recent post I mentioned 3 things you can do to be more productive with your time management to get better results and have more balance. We’ll be continuing to go over additional tips that will make getting things done more effortless, but a lot of that starts with mastery in a few key areas of your life which I want to mention in today’s Tuesday Business Tidbit.

Mastering Your Thoughts

Doubt, fear, and a lack of belief do more to sabotage success than anything else. Your thoughts are the root of your actions, so negativity will stop activity, which hinders productivity. The end result is often failure…or even worse, quitting altogether.  If you find your progress is blocked by chronic hindrances, indecision, and confusion, taking the time to look at your core beliefs might give you a new awareness of what needs to change. When you do the wrong thing do you struggle with the guilt and shame of that mistake? Are you held bondage by past failures, a negative environment, lack of forgiveness and personal grudges, or low self-esteem? If this is you, I have access to some great coaches who can help you identify what may be blocking your business and personal success.

If you’re doing well in this area, the 3 questions to ask yourself are…

1. How well do you utilize your time? (Planning and Priorities)
2. How successful are you at staying on task? (Focus)
3. Do you think empowering thoughts? (Belief)

Mastering Your Time

When it comes to time management, I think one of the biggest hindrances is the belief that you have to do everything yourself. I struggle with this one and have had to look hard at myself to determine why I tend toward micro-managing…and even perfection at times. Again, it usually gets back to mastering our thoughts in order to let go of control and delegate to others the things we don’t need to do. I encourage mind mapping your strategies and tactics to incorporate leveraging and outsourcing into your plan so you can begin adding the systems and budgeting costs into your bigger picture. As my cash flow grows, I’m beginning to outsource more, which frees up time to do the things I do best. If a particular aspect of your business launch is standing in your way of progress, hire someone else to do it. It’s just that simple!

The other big time waster is the excess we allow to accumulate in our lives…excess email in our inbox, excess paperwork that just doesn’t seem to get filed away, excess stuff in our lives and business that we often don’t use or need. Simplifying your workspace and life can free up a lot of time and creativity.

The keys to consider here are…

1. Am I leveraging my time through using systems, delegating tasks, and outsourcing?
2. Am I freeing up productive time by having a plan in place, files and data organized, and a space to work that is free from clutter?
3. Am I achieving goals because I have clearly defined and written them down, targeted dates for completion, and put accountability in place?

Mastering Your Money

Do you make wise buying choices or jump on every training offer and opportunity that comes along? Have you wasted money on unused mentoring or training? Do you make buying decisions impulsively or strategically? Having a clear vision, and then planning and budgeting to achieve goals is the beginning of mastering your money. Money, or the lack of, is one of the primary obstacles to successfully launching and growing a business. If you’re an entrepreneur, a basic knowledge of finances and budgeting is critical, and managing your cash flow will determine how fast and effortless your business launch will be. Even if you outsource your bookkeeping, you should have a basic knowledge of how you are spending and make sure you understand the reports that are generated to keep you on track with your budget.

Some of the important points are…

1. Having a start-up budget in place (How much will it take to effectively launch?)
2. Having an operational budget in place (How much do I need to stay in business and grow)
3. Having a personal budget in place (Do I have enough to live on while planning and launching?)
4. Having a contingency plan and resources lined up for the unexpected
5. Having the discipline to manage your budget

The great thing about self- mastery is that we have the power to change the way we think. We can control the way we spend our time and money.  So, if you struggle in this area, I encourage you to get some help in those weak areas and find accountability to change those habits that can hinder your progress. Just a few tweaks in daily habits can lead to a life of productivity and purpose.

Are you ready to Mind Your Business through the habits of self- mastery? Let me know if you need help!

I’ve been very privileged to be involved in a dynamic personal mastermind alliance over the past 15 months that has played a big part in me successfully launching a business this past year. The friendships and collaboration that have developed from that have been enriching and supportive. We’ve seen people come and go for various reasons, but every person who has participated would probably agree they’ve benefited from the interaction. And we still have 5 core members in the group after 15 months, so I think that says a lot to the vitality and value of those relationships that have developed out of the mastermind.

My Thursday Thanks goes to the incredible people who have touched my life through this weekly time together. The mastermind was launched out of an event in Portland hosted by Mike Klingler and Marketing Merge. It was the first of the Marketing Funnel Mastery events and the group was started as a way to hold each other accountable to our goals of launching our marketing funnels. Matt Miller and Glenn Arcaro took the initiative to start the group. Matt ended up going back to his career, so Glenn has been the main facilitator ongoing.

Emma Tiebens, too, ended up leaving early on, but we’ve remained great friends and mutual encouragers to one another and, of course, she joined my webinar series as a guest speaker. She’s launched a business and is doing great things, including collaborating with Kathy Eppley in an event recently, Emma’s second live event in the past year.

Glenn, Diyana “Didi” Alcheva, and I also collaborated in their first live event, with the idea birthed out of Emma’s first event. (do you begin to see how these masterminds stimulate action and collaboration?) And, of course, Didi and Glenn’s success on Facebook and building a tribe has been a source of marketing support to the mastermind and they also added great value to my webinar series as guest trainers. They just successfully launched a sales funnel from all the products that were developed out of the last 15 months of activity. And several members of the mastermind participated in their webinar series, as well.

Jackie Ulmer also left after the first 6 months, but is a wealth of information on marketing online, and not only is a very successful online network marketer but is also working to bring local businesses online. She was an amazing source of motivation for me and shows moms everywhere that they can be successful and be a mom at the same time.

George Fourie, the founder of That MLM Beat and host of the Top 50 MLM blogs challenge, is a techie life saver. There have been several times that I’ve turned to him to rescue a situation and he’s always there to help. He’s brought so much value to the group in resources, ideas, and support…thanks George. If you’re network marketing he’s a great guy to connect with. His annual challenge is getting underway soon, so you might want to jump on his site and participate.

Mary Lou Kayser is still active in the group and, because she lives in Portland, we’ve had the opportunity to meet personally and grow our friendship. She brings a fresh perspective to the team and a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, with a special gift of communication. She’s doing some exciting things with getting local business online, as well.

Rich Hazlett and Natasha Nassar were short timers in the group but bought another whole dimension of support to the group. Natasha is an attorney, so has been an incredible resource in regards to compliance and we’re discussing some collaborative projects in the future. Rich has done some successful advertising online and shared valuable tips and resources in the mastermind. I miss their humor and interaction and value the friendship that formed out of their participation.

Cindy Shulson is a fellow coach and has launched several great products and is modeling perfectly how to leverage and create passive income as a coach. Even though she recently left the group, we’ve continued to stay in touch and I’m sure, will grow our relationship as a result of masterminding.

A new member to the group, Michael Tucker, founder of Social Mobile Buzz, is adding yet another facet of marketing know-how and fresh new ideas to the group. We met at an internet marketing party and just hit it off, so it’s great to have him in the group. I’m planning some collaboration with him, too.

Thanks to all of you for the richness you added to my life, the motivation and support for my business launch, and the continued business resources and knowledge that have made all of us more successful in our efforts.

If you aren’t in a mastermind, you’re missing an important mind strategy for business that can give you a huge edge in this competitive market. How about starting one of your own? Or if you need support in launching your business I offer the opportunity to join my Business Launch Mastery Main Course Mastermind.

Do you see others in your industry as competitors or collaborators?

I’m interviewing today on a webinar series Richard Goutal is doing on collaboration, so thought it appropriate to address this subject on my Tuesday Business Tidbit.

There are many ways to approach collaboration, but in essence it requires the actions of two or more people working jointly on a project. Typically, there is benefit to all parties involved whether that’s in a complete partnership or simply a joint venture agreement.

Here are some tips on ways to collaborate for success in your business.

• Align yourself with the right strategic partnerships. You’ll want to work together with people who are a good fit for you, both in the core values and the niches they represent.  I love to mind map, so I was attracted to and attracted people to me who work with mind maps as part of launching and growing a business.
• Leverage and collaborate by doing webinars. My way of collaborating in my webinar series was to leverage other leader’s expertise by inviting them to present, then offering to promote their personal products as part of that week’s training. They benefited from the exposure by expanding their list and making sales, I made a small commission as an affiliate that also helped to offset the costs of doing the free webinar series. The webinars were copyrighted so I could sell it as a product unique to me.
• Collaborate on products that everyone can use. During the webinar series, Mind Map Your Way from Passion to Prosperity, Teach Jim also demonstrated a way to come together as a team and create a product via mind mapping online. This is a great way to co-create or co-author a product for everyone to use personally. Often published books are created this way, giving all the participants a product to sell, build credibility, and use in media marketing. There is usually a fee to participate if someone else organizes and publishes the product, but if you find 3-6 people to co-create something, it’s easy to self-publish, as well.
• Collaborating on events is a great way to network. Events can be time consuming to plan, expensive to organize, and challenging to fill, both with people and content. With everyone working together it’s easier to fund, plan, and profit from the event. In addition, it’s easier to provide content for a 2-3 day event with multiple speakers training than doing it on your own. Events can be online or offline or a combination of both.

If you’re struggling to get a series of products designed for your marketing funnel, collaboration just might be something to consider for cutting the learning curve and the time it takes to create and publish something solo. Another good reason to collaborate is the opportunity to include people who might have strengths in an area that you are weak. That allows you to offer products with others that are packed with expertise and value in areas that might take a lot of time for each individual to research or experience in order to give that same value.  And lastly, collaboration produces accountability and synergy, which means products get done quickly as a team. It can be fun and a great team building experience.

Have you ever collaborated on a project? Please leave a comment on how that went for you?